TOP-FLIGHT jockey Richard Mitchell rode magnificently for a triple to highlight the penultimate 11-race programme for the season at Caymanas Park yesterday.

It was, however, an agonising day in the saddle for title-chasing jockey Paul Francis, who drew a nil from his seven rides to remain on course to realise his championship ambition. Francis remains on 96 wins — two adrift of leader Omar Walker.

The day was a bitter disappointment for the many supporters of his who felt that he had two live rides on the card which could have taken him to join the champion and leading rider at the top of the championship standings with 98 wins.

This was not to be and Francis and his supporters will now have to wait until the Boxing Day programme to see whether the heir apparent to Walker’s crown will get the winning rides to sew up the 2009 Jockeys’ Championship on the final programme for the year.

For his final assault on the Jockeys’ Championship Francis has secured nine rides on the 12-race card.

While Francis was labouring in the saddle without success, Mitchell was making up for last time out of the saddle due to injury by booting home three winners, including Dig Diva in the day’s feature, the 17th running of the $1,300,000 Sweet Ruckus Trophy; Global Warming, a 5-2 chance in the eighth race for trainer Kingsley Davis, and China Crossing, at odds of 5-1 for trainer Morris Powell in race nine.

Earlier, Mitchell brought the 7-5 betting option Big Diva with a crippling run from between horses after turning up the lane. He then set alight in the straight and with 25 metres remaining past the long time leader and stablemate Cat For The King the 6-5 second favourite ridden by Shane Ellis to go on to win the event by three lengths in the field of six for Graded Stakes native-bred and imported two-year-olds. Trained by Tony Kirlew Big Diva who was winning for the second time from three starts ran 1,400 metres in 1:27.1.

Allaboutcash the 4-5 favourite partnered by Brian Harding ran below expectations to finished third another nine lengths farther back with the 27-1 shot Erica’s Destiny who led from the off until passed by Cat For The King completed the frame with Dick Cardenas in the saddle.

Owned by Winston McIntosh Big Diva, a chestnut filly by Rossini out of Karsztanka (Ravarano) and was bred by Karey K Miller in the USA. It was her second win from three career starts and she earned $709,800 as the winner’s share for earnings of $1,113,200 lifetime.

Meanwhile Poorlittlerichboy ridden by Aaron Chatrie beat Designed For Luck ridden by Paul Francis by two lengths to win the $545,500 Champion/CTL Claiming Series #2 – Race #6. Poorlittlerichboy a 3-1 came from off the pace to catch Design For Luck the 4-5 favourite close home to seal the win. Trained by Barrington Dawes Poorlittlerichboy ran 1,500 metres in 1:36.4 in the nine horse field for horses in the claiming spread $250,000 – $210,000 three-year-olds and upward who have started for $250,000 or less since August 23.