With confirmation that the leading riders, Dane Nelson and Anthony Thomas, would not put in an appearance leaving the sport with joint 2020 champion jockeys at 84 wins each, the racing year came to an uneventful climax.

The featured Jamaica Two-Year-Olds Stakes was won by favourite Further and Beyond ridden for Anthony Nunes by veteran Ian Spence in the absence of Nelson.

In the opening event Locomotive declared by trainer Nicholas Smith duly justified odds-on favouritism to give champion apprentice Oshane Nugent his 35th winner of the season.

Half an hour later in race two, apprentice Carlos Blake induced the Marlon Anderson-trained Colawill to deliver his maiden win in an event where Queen Deftiny fell and replacement rider for Nelson, Orlando Foster was taken to hospital for injuries he sustained.

Long-serving reinsman Paul Francis got the benefit of the absence of Thomas when well-fancied Anngelos won the third for trainer Errol Waugh and Omar Walker deputising for Nelson rode Pakman for trainer Ryan Darby to score in the fourth giving the former six-time champion jockey his first of two winners on the day.

Walker for his second win replaced Thomas aboard trainer Johnny Wilmot’s Top Shelf and enjoyed a runaway as the filly came home eight lengths clear in the fifth.

Philip Feanny won his third race of the weekend when Salvation (Youville Pinnock) made all to win the sixth.

Outgoing champion jockey Christopher Mamdeen also benefitted from the absence Thomas with Isinbayeva scoring in the seventh for trainer Linton Calder.

Jerome Innis on the Donovan Plummer trained four-year-old filly Denbigh Life won the eighth at 6/1 and the ninth went to Another Affair (Robert Halledeen), this year’s Derby third-place finisher who sprinted well to score over the 1200-metre event for trainer Gary Subratie.

The eleventh and final race of 2020 was won by the well handicapped Alford Brown-trained sprinter Trevor’s Choice ridden by Oshane Nugent.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Alford Brown who had to exercise patience to get Trevor’s Choice in condition to sprint so well, although having only his fourth race since December 2019. Further and Beyond showed the Best Winning Gallop in winning the Jamaica Stakes.

The Jockeyship Award is given to Ian Spence for handling the pressure of riding the favourite Further and Beyond and making it appear easier than it was in reality.

This column salutes the sectional industry champions starting with the the owners of equines Casual Trick, the leading stallion; Nippit, the top broodmare; Nipster, the top earner; and Ham Stables Ltd taking yet another title as the premier breeding establishment.

Tefara Wright was the most successful groom, Michros (Michael Bernard), champion owner; and trainer Anthony Nunes defended his first title won in 2019 successfully.

Special mention must be made of joint champion jockeys in a year when three months were lost due to the coronavirus pandemic, jockeys Dane Nelson and Anthony Thomas who won 168 of the 604 races offered between them.