Feature event, the inaugural staging of The Kingston, a 1500-metre Classic preparation trial for colts and geldings with a total purse of $3.0 million was the ninth on the card with a field of twelve declared. First season champion Further and Beyond winner of the Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes in December and the 1400-metre Prince Consort had the confidence of the overwhelming majority of punters that the classy colt would be capable of conceding upwards of three kilos successfully to all rivals.

Further and Beyond (Dane Nelson), trained by Anthony Nunes, got a great start and travelled strongly on the bridle behind leader Regnant before assuming the advantage to turn for home clear and having all, except the late-running Miniature Man, in trouble.

There can be no denying of the fact that a combination of weight and distance took a toll on Further and Beyond’s momentum in the last 50 metres.

The finishing speed and stamina of the Jason Dacosta-trained Miniature Man, ridden by Dick Cardenas for his triple and the trainer’s second success on the card, stayed on strongly to share the winning and runner-up purse of a dead heat for first place.

Second-generation trainer Michael Marlowe had seven runners declared on the ten-race card with six making the frame. Michael is the son of the legendary horseman the late Valbert, who saddled the UK-bred horse Kilowatt to record three wins in the Benson Hedges Gold Cup, the most prestigious 1400-metre handicap event at the time with sponsorship by the Cigarette Company of Jamaica.

The strapping dark bay thoroughbred triumphed in the inaugural Gold Cup staging in 1967, repeated in 1968, was a late non-starter for the 1969 edition but returned in 1970 to score for the third time in the ‘velvet hands’ of lightweight jockey Cleveland Suckie so deemed because of this rider’s seemingly effortless style of riding.

Predictably, Michael Marlowe’s Nala’s Bushman (Shane Ellis) justified odds of 6/5 by outstaying 11 rivals to score by over four lengths in the 1820-metre opening event. The trainer secured his second of two wins with Dick Cardenas inducing a strong late burst aboard Casual Peach to reward backers at odds of 7/1 in the 1500-metre third event. This was the first of the former champion jockey’s three wins on the day.

Surprisingly, leading apprentice Youville Pinnock attracted only one engagement and duly rode Another Cookie to a seven-and-a-half-length victory for trainer Everald Francis to open his seasonal account in the 1400-metre second event.

Long odds-on favourite Sir John continued the form of the Anthony Thomas/DaCosta jockey/trainer partnership in the 1600-metre fourth. Both added another win each but not in tandem.

Trainer Christopher Pearson’s lightly-raced six-year-old Secret Law (Shavon Townsend) out for its 12th start won the 1000-metre straight fifth while in the sixth conditioner Phillip Lee had his turn in the winners’ enclosure although opting for 3.5 kilos more over the allotted 50 kilos for the services of Robert Halledeen aboard his four-year-old filly Itsabeautifulday who was two lengths better than her nearest rival.

Given his recent form, defeat was virtually out of the question for Patrick Lynch’s Rum With Me in the 1200-metre seventh. Dick Cardenas therefore notched his second of the afternoon with little or no effort as the colt proved to be 4 ½ lengths better than its nearest rival.

By virtue of a favourable weight allotment for the 1000 metres round eighth, Miss Hillington, trained by Steven Todd, was able to wear down front-running stablemate Boasy N Flashy (Dick Cardenas) by three parts of a length thereby facilitating Thomas’ double.

Far-striding huge odds-on favourite, the progressive Philip Feanny conditioned US-bred colt Excessive Force (Linton Steadman), failed to handle the turns efficiently, was always wide and fell prey to front running nine-year-old battler Superluminal a 7/2 shot in the nightcap over 1820 metres.

Toting top weight (57 kilos) and conceding three kilogrammes to the four-year-old American chestnut, it was a typically enterprising effort from pilot Omar Walker for trainer Ian Parsard.

Still, it was a noticeable attempt by Excessive Force who will be in the top class before long but on this occasion Superluminal was in no mood to be denied a 16th triumph in his 59th career start.

The Training Feat Award is presented Jason DaCosta for the obvious improvement in the form of Minature Man. The Best Winning Gallop Award was demonstrated by aging Superluminal and the Jockeyship Award goes to Omar Walker for his superb judgement of pace and balance; the two critical elements essential to success over a distance of ground and conceding weight.