COULD this be the end for Rum Talk from among Jamaica’s short list of top Grade One performers?

Now six years old, the bay horse by Royal Minister out of Good As Gold (Fountation Of Gold) and owned by Stephen Chung, WP Valentine Chung & Clovis Metcalf and bred by Henry Jaghai, is one of racing’s mega-bucks earners, but seemed to have declined so rapidly in ability over the last year that he had to be dropped to claiming company.

With thoroughbred racing though, one never really knows for sure what to expect.

But following a dismal run on a $550,000 claiming tag for a purse of $590,000 in the Alex’s Imports “Dig Out Handicap” Race #34 at Caymanas Park on Saturday it seems that four years of strenuous, though not heavy campaigning, has taken its toll.

Campaigning at this level for the first time, the former Champion Two-Year-Old and a multiple Graded Stakes winner of 10 races from 24 career starts and a bankroll of $10,668,350 lifetime, finished a wallowing second to last in sloppy under foot condition over 1,500 metres among $550,000 – $520,000 claimers. Eleven ran following the late withdrawal of My Space.

Formerly conditioned by 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny Rum Talk, will now be conditioned by Ian Parsard who claimed him out of the event.

A winner of the Supreme Ventures Jamaica Two-Year-old Stakes (Gr.1) in 2006 and a fairly versatile campaigner, the son of Royal Minister also went on to be productive in his next three years and added six more Grade One wins to his collection.

His other Graded Stakes success included victories in the Jamaica 2,000 Guineas, Jamaica St Leger, Governor General Stakes, Legal Light Trophy and the Harry Jackson Memorial Cup twice 2008, 2009.

His last run was on December 26, 2009 when he won the Harry Jackson Memorial Cup for the second time. His 2010 return to his happy hunting ground was a disaster.

Meanwhile, Dane Nelson rode another two winners to highlight the programme along with the Gresford Smith-prepared Antioch who upset her more fancied rivals to win the $715,000 Overnight Allowance event as a 12-1 chance by a length on Saturday.

A race for three-year-olds upward it took the place of a sponsored event.

Antioch, owned by Mr Bojangles and industriously ridden by lightweight jockey Peter Bryan, was campaigning among Overnight Allowance for the first time, and she delivered a sustained stretch run to covered 1,100 metres in a probing 1:06.2 for victory.

Fairly consistent for the season it was the second consecutive win but fourth of the season for the four-year-old bay filly in 14 starts. Nine ran.

Thebandisloose, an imported fiveyear-old chestnut mare running for the second time on local soil closed steadily to be second ridden by claiming apprentice Richard Cole at odds of 16-1.

Top Commander, a 4-1 bet ridden by Georgina Sergeon, ran past tired horses in the drive for third money. The 4-5 favourite, Little Wasp ridden by Omar Walker, completed the frame after dropping out of contention having ran into traffic problems in the drive along the rails.