Following an astounding victory in the Bigga Jamaica Oaks on Saturday last, jockey Paul Francis must be one of the most relieved individuals living on this ‘rock’.

Which race-goer can forget 2011 when Cardidad (Allen Maragh) scored an upset over Right Marker with Francis in the saddle in the Oaks. What those at the track on the day and those who have watched this race on television will never forget was the abysmal riding display from Francis popularly known as ‘Country’.

Right Marker lost momentum several times as Francis was unable to guide her properly — constantly touching the rails and thereby causing the filly to lose ground as Caridad came charging home to win by a short head. It was a loss riddled in pain for Francis. Yet after this abominable ride we saw the true nature of the man Paul Francis. He spoke publicly, admitting to his poor performance and made a public apology to the owners, the trainer, the groom and the backers of Right Marker.

This was an unprecedented but very welcomed admission of failure by Francis who gained the respect and love of many inside and outside of racing. Then came Saturday April 27, 2013 and another Jamaica Oaks. According to pundits, Francis had the ride on outsider according Lady Abijita.

In a display of great race riding, Francis guided Lady Abijita to a magnificent win. He was patient, he was unruffled, he was cautious, and when the time came, he produced the Richard Azan trained filly with a well-timed run to win the Oaks. All could see the palpably difference on the face of Francis when he was returning aboard Lady Abijita to the winners’ enclosure and as he posed for pictures.

Time they say is always be longer than rope. For Francis, it took two years for him to gain his redemption and no praise can be too high for this highly regarded member of the professional ranks in racing.

And to make the day even better for Francis, the trainer of Right Marker, Noel Ennevor, had two other winners in Light Brigade and Alphaletta.

MIRACLE MAN AND LADY BAKUL

Everyone in this country, whether they are interested in horse racing or not, has heard about Miracle Man. He is one of the best horses to ever race in Jamaica as personified by wins in the Derby, the St Leger, the Superstakes and of even greater significance, the Grade One Confraternity Classic in Puerto Rico.

His owner Joseph Duany, after Miracle Man’s racing career came to an end, put him up as a stallion. It is not very often that local bred horses which do well on the track are placed as stallions. In fact, locally-bred stallions are often scoffed at by breeding farms and the owners of mares preferring instead to place their breeding interests on overseas-bred stallions.

Miracle Man never received a lot of mares despite the best efforts of Duany to project his image through advertising in the forms of billboards and by other means. Yet, Miracle Man has again done the unthinkable by breeding a winner of a Classic race — Lady Abijita by Lady Bakul in the Jamaica Oaks for this year.

This writer is overjoyed with the achievements of Miracle Man and sincerely hopes that it will provide the necessary impetus for a growth in the use of local stallions.

For Lady Bakul it was her second progeny winning a Classic as Al Fouzia (Legal Process) won the 1,000 Guineas. Lady Bakul has also produced Sir Jadu Baba, winner of seven races.

Congrats to this local combination of Miracle Man and Lady Bakul.

JOCKEY AMETH ROBLES

Ameth Robles from Panama has been on the local circuit for a while now. He has never attained the brilliance of his other countrymen Jose Bravo, Albino Ubidia, Jorge Campines or Dick Cardenas, yet he has proven to be quite a competent rider. He finished second in the 1,000 Guineas on Perfect Day and was roundly criticised. This probably led to the decision by trainer Gary Subratie to remove him from Perfect Day for Omar Walker with Robles placed by the trainer on Zacapa with much less winning credentials.

Well as fate would have it, Zacapa ran impressively beating Perfect Day and only failing to hold off the challenge of Lady Abijita by a length and a quarter in the Oaks. Robles has therefore placed second in the 1,000 Guineas and second in the Oaks.

For Walker, the wait to ride a Classic winner continues. Although being champion jockey on four occasions, he is yet to taste the sweetness of piloting home a Classic winner.