Even though two changes were made to improve the competitiveness of the third staging of the Diamond Mile, Fabian White, president of the Grooms’ Association of Jamaica, is still insisting that the race should be a handicap event.

This year’s running of the Diamond Mile, which carries the same purse of US$115,000, will be run at Caymanas Park on Saturday, December 2.

The handicap system, in White’s view, would make the Diamond Mile more competitive as it would give everyone across the board a good chance of winning the richest purse in the English-speaking Caribbean.

“Firstly, I think that the Diamond Mile is a very good race for the country. I must applaud the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission and Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL), who are sponsors of the race.

“The race is very beneficial to the racing industry and it is most welcome; however, I think that the organisers would get more out of it if it was a handicap event. Even at the start of the Diamond Mile in 2015, we were all saying that the race should be a handicap event.

“If the Diamond Mile was a handicap race it would allow more horses, owners, trainers, jockeys, and grooms a better chance of winning, and it would be more competitive; but it is what it is, so we have to work with it while still making our voices heard.Everything takes time and negotiations,” White opined.

By virtue of his long association with horse racing, White then made another suggestion.

“What I saw at the previous Diamond Mile races is that more attention was placed on the infield, and little on the track where the punters are at.

“I would love for the promoters to put some entertainers in the stands also. The punters love these things.”

One of the changes to the event is that imported horses domiciled in Jamaica for more than a year will now be given a 2.0-kg allowance. The 2.0-kg allowance will be applied based on the performances of the foreigners. The original condition of imported horses carrying 57.0 kg and local-bred horses 55.0 kg still stands when the foreign-bred horses are not in Jamaica for a minimum of one year.

“I have no problem with this change in the condition, as at least [the organisers] are trying to even out things, but it still needs more adjustment,” said White. “They are making an effort and we must give them credit for their initiative.”

The other change to the event is as follows: Instead of participating horses being selected on the basis of their year-to-date earnings across all racing levels from January to December, horses will now be selected based on their earnings at designated racing levels or classes.

“The other change of limiting the levels from which horses can enter the Diamond Mile, I have no problems with,” White said.