When did you start your career as a trainer?

My career as a trainer started in 1990 but I was very much involved in the sport of horse racing from a long time before. I had a friend who had a horse named Balla Gold, and later that friend also owned It’s A Rebel, so I was pretty much into the game long before becoming a trainer. After a while of being around horses and with regular visits to the racetrack, I developed a special liking for horses. I got attached to them and the sport on the whole. I was an assistant to trainer Norman Palmer, and it was from there that everything has happened. That was a period in my life l remember well.

Which horse was your first winner?

My first winner was with a horse named Smooth Sailing. It was an incredible feeling that day when I won my very first race as a trainer. I was happy, I was excited and I was pleased. It was as if I had accomplished something big. I knew that she was going to win that day because when she worked before the race, she went 1:14.0 minutes, very easy for six furlongs, and I knew once she settled down in the race, she would be a winner. The race was run over 1,820 metres and Smooth Sailing was ridden by a jockey named Vishu Singh.

Which horse was your longest odds winner?

The longest odds winner I had was with Sir Budget at odds of 52-1. I also knew that he was going to win that day. I got him running in some long-distance races to get him fit before I dropped him in a 1,000-metre straight race. The first race Sir Budget won was going over 1,000 metres straight and he ran 1:00.0 minute and he was never prepared that much for the race, and now he was prepared well and got some races under his belt and so I was expecting him to win. It was a great win by Sir Budget and I was pleased with his performance.

Which is the best horse that you have trained?

Well, the best horses that I have trained so far in my career look like Sir Budget and Prominent. They have both performed well; they have won some good races and always give of their best. To put one over the other, I would give Sir Budget the edge because he has now won in the Open Allowance company, beating some good horses as well. He is talented and he has a lot of guts.

Which is the best horse you have seen race at Caymanas Park?

Wow…I have seen some good horses run here at Caymanas Park. There were Legal Light, Element, Miracle Man, The Viceroy, Eros – so many good ones, I don’t know where to choose from. They were all some good horses who have done some good things with their performances, including exciting the many racing fans who watched them run.

Who influenced your career the most?

Since I’ve been in racing, everyone has been there for me. Everyone is there to lend a helping hand, with words of encouragement and a shoulder to lean on, and I want to say a big thank you to those who have influenced my career. I just love the game, and I am going to be here as long as I can. Training horses is what I do, and I have no regrets taking that path in my life.