SINCE its first running in 1978 with the mighty Legal Light winning, the Superstakes has become the race all want to win.

There have been some intriguing, fascinating and heart-wrenching moments in the storied history of the Superstakes. Only last year in a repeat win, Typewriter produced the run of his racing career to not only win the coveted race but also the Horse-of-the-Year title.

Typewriter is back this year with his trainer Spencer Chung priming his charge for a third consecutive victory. Chung has stated that his main objective for this racing year is to win the Superstakes.

The Complete Racing Guide begins its build-up to the Superstakes, which will be run on Saturday November 14, with a look at the first running of this great race.

Sheer Joy led from Kowri and Arizona with Streamline, Casa Bianca and Legal Light in close touch. The positions remained unchanged along the backstretch and it was noticed from then that Legal Light’s jockey had a lot of horse under him ready to unleash at any time. At the half-mile marker Sheer Joy held a three-length advantage over Kowri, who in turn had the same distance over Arizona with Legal Light fourth. Sheer Joy and Kowri were both overhauled by Arizona and Legal Light around the turn and it was Arizona who straightened up with a half a length lead on Legal Light, but there was no doubt who the winner would be as jockey Winston Griffiths shook up Legal Light who obligingly strode away to a comfortable three-and-a-half length win over Arizona. In third place, a further eight lengths behind came Casa Bianca,with the pace-setter Sheer Joy fourth. (Racing Year 1978)

In 1978, Legal Light towered like a colossus over his rivals and at year’s end had won $62,150 for his owner, a total which placed him at the top of the all-time stakes winner’s list, and that made him the first horse in Jamaica’s racing history to win over $100,000 in stakes money.

Under the care of A E ‘Billy’ Williams as a three-year-old, and for one race, the 16-furlong Caribbean Cup in 1978, Legal Light was shifted to trainer Kenneth Mattis who was able to fully exploit the potential of the chestnut colt by Element – Portia.

In 1978, Legal Light not only won the inaugural running of the Superstakes but also the Caribbean Cup (16 furlongs), the Leo DeLisser Trophy (nine furlongs), the Jamaica Eclipse Stakes, the Harry Jackson Cup (12 furlongs), the Joseph Ashenheim Memorial Bowl and the Prime Minister’s Stakes.

It was little wonder then that in 1978, there was hardly another horse to rival Legal Light for horse-of-the-year honours.