Brian Boodramsingh is celebrating a ninth jockeys’ championship title in Trinidad and Tobago after missing almost six months of the racing year while on a stint in Canada.

On Tuesday’s Boxing Day card, the final day of the Trinidad and Tobago racing year, Boodramsingh rode three winners to survive a “tough battle” with apprentice Tristan Phillips. He achieved another championship feat with 14 wins, one ahead of Phillips and Dillon Khelawan in the 14-meet racing year.

“It was good to come back and win the championship. I believed that I could, and the trainer and owners gave me what was needed,” said Boodramsingh.

With the battle between the top three being tense throughout the race card, Boodramsingh snatched the title with victory aboard the 3-5 favourite Theory of Colours in the final race of the year, decisively edging Phillips’ mount Alpha Cetauri (5-1) by a length in a title-clinching result.

“I must thank my trainer John O’Brien for his kindness and skill in getting his horses ready to perform in the manner that they did. I thank everyone, the grooms for their support in my venture. My first two winners were easy, but I had to ride for my final victory,” Boodramsingh noted.

This was fifth-consecutive title. Boodramsingh also rode 21 winners on his just over five-month stint in Canada, where he rode predominantly at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, with some brief trips to Century Mile in Edmonton.

The unbeaten In The Headlines uncorked a huge win in Monday’s Trinidad Derby to become the first filly ever to complete the Triple Crown at Santa Rosa Park.

As the 8-5 second choice, In the Headlines took control down the backstretch and easily repelled a late challenge from stablemate and 1-5 favourite Hello World to score by 1-1/2 lengths in the TT$115,222 (US$17,022) Classic.

It was a fourth-consecutive Derby win for champion trainer John O’Brien, while jockey Rico Hernandez celebrated his first.

In the Headlines, who scored big wins in the earlier Triple Crown legs – the Guineas and the Midsummer Classic – clocked two minutes 10.72 seconds for the 10-furlong trip.

The result also gave O’Brien his third Triple Crown win overall and second in four years after Momentum in 2014 and Wise Guy in 2020.

The Triple Crown-seeking filly In the Headlines has been drawn in post position four for Monday’s Trinidad Derby at Santa Rosa Park.

Champion trainer John O’Brien has booked the services of Naim Samaroo for this very important assignment.

In the Headlines is listed as the 6-5 second favourite behind her stablemate and 4-5 shot Hello World for the 10-furlong run on the Republic Day holiday card.

Hello World will be ridden by 58-year-old Panama-born Nobel Abrego.

Coming off wins in the Guineas in May and the Midsummer Classic in August, In the Headlines is trying to become the first filly to capture the Triple Crown at Santa Rosa Park and would also give trainer O’Brien a second Triple Crown win in four years after Wise Guy in 2020.