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Barbadian jockey Slade Jones. (CMC image)
CMC – Teenager Slade Jones added another accolade to his name when he was honoured as Most Outstanding Apprentice at the 48th Annual Sovereign Awards staged in Toronto, Canada on Thursday.
The 17-year-old beat out competition from fellow Barbadian rider N’Rico Prescod and Trinidadian Kimal Santo, to clinch the award for his exploits at prestigious Woodbine racetrack last season.
Jones, the son of Woodbine legend Jono Jones, produced 61 wins, 54 seconds and 57 thirds from 443 starts to finish 12th in the standings with earnings of $1.9 million.
The soft-spoken rider was also good enough to land one added-money success, when he guided A Touch of Red to victory in the $100 000 South Ocean Stakes over 6-1/2 furlongs.
Japanese Kazushi Kimura emerged as the Most Outstanding Jockey for the second straight year, after securing 152 wins from 760 starts, and earnings of $6.8 million.
A former winner of the Sovereign Award for the Most Outstanding Apprentice, Kimura also dominated the added-money races to finish with 15.
Jamaican Ricardo Nichalson, who moved to Canada at age 11, picked up one of two Outstanding Grooms awards.
The Sovereign Awards is organised by the Jockey Club of Canada.
Julivia Gilkes-Trim 
