1999 — Good Prospect

Texas Prospector — Good Conduct

Jockey — Andrew Ramgeet

Trainer — Wayne DaCosta

Owner — Flame Syndicate

THE countdown to the Jamaica Derby which will be run on June 14 is well and truly on. The Complete Racing Guide gets into the fray by taking a look at some of our past Derby winners. We start with the 1999 winner Good Prospect. Below is a description of the race by the Racing Year publication for 1999.

Although Good Prospect had dominated her peers in the preceding Classic, the maximum field of 16 was declared for the premier Classic, the Red Stripe Jamaica Derby (Gr 1R) over 2,400 metres. The purse was $3,000,000.

Outside of the 4-5 favourite, Good Prospect, there was a speedster present by the name of Dom Perignon, and he is probably the reason there were so many entrants. He was expected to soften Good Prospect on the lead and make the race interesting in the end. But could he?

The Allan Williams-conditioned colt, who went off at 7-1 under Simon Husbands, was put quickly to the lead when the starter sent them on their way. Good Prospect was tightly held in second place followed by Rhythm Of My Heart, Medical Karamba and Flawless Victory.

With the favourite tugging for her head, Ramgeet decided that he had enough and he slipped the filly into the lead approaching the halfway stage. From there on Dom Perignon appeared flat, as the others tried to close the gap. Good Prospect proceeded to cruise to the half mile ahead of Rhythm Of My Heart, who was always keeping a close tab on her. Medical Karamba, too was waiting to pounce as did Flawless Victory and Ok Don.

Thanks to her superior pace, Good Prospect turned for home some three lengths clear and moved even further away to be five-and-a-length clear of Medical Karamba. A length and three parts back was the 60-1 outsider, Black American, and another 60-1 outsider, Sir Mohandas Baba, ran on from a long way off for fourth.

It was Good Prospect’s fourth consecutive victory in five starts for the season, and it included three premier races.