Former Trinidad champion jockey Prayven Badrie mounts up at the Park
TRINIDAD and Tobago’s jockey Prayven Badrie is set to make his first saddle appearance on local soil, and the winner of two jockey’s titles in two different countries is already anticipating a successful start at Caymanas Park.
Badrie will begin his local quest on tomorrow’s 10-race card when he will mount up on the Richard Azan-trained Thirtyonekisses in the second event.
On the Sunday (January 30) programme, Badrie has three rides from last year’s leading conditioners — Anthony Nunes and Jason DaCosta. Badrie will ride Asurety and Chandra’s Law for Nunes and Thegoodlife for DaCosta.
“Owner Chevan Maharaj gave me the opportunity to come here [Jamaica] to ride and I am happy for the chance to ride in Jamaica. I have been here since last week Monday, and have been working horses in the mornings.”
When asked whether he will be attached to one stable, Badrie was clear in his response.
“At the moment I am freelancing; I am available to ride for every trainer. I love it here in Jamaica and my experience so far has been very good and I will do my best in the saddle — and hopefully, I can be successful,” Badrie said.
Badrie won the 2015 jockey’s championship at Santa Rosa Park in Trinidad and Tobago with 50 winners. He also won a jockey’s title in 2018, this time at the Assiniboia Downs racetrack in Winnipeg, Canada.
“I have ridden at many racetracks and won many Stakes races. Apart from in Trinidad, I have ridden at tracks in Canada (Century Mile, and Century Downs) as well tracks in Barbados and St Lucia.
“I was contracted to the stables of Nunes [Anthony] in Trinidad in 2016, when I won numerous Stakes races. I had also won aboard Bigman In Town for trainer Gary Subratie,” Badrie shared.
Badrie, the lone foreign rider currently competing at the Park, says he knows many of the local riders.
“I am friends with Dane Nelson, who I rode with in Canada at Century Mile; also Shane Ellis who I rode with in Trinidad; and I am familiar with senior riders Omar Walker and Paul Francis among others,” said Badrie, who won his first Gold Cup in Trinidad after guiding home Affirmative in last year’s edition.
Equibase, statistics for horsemen on the North America circuit, has Bardrie winning 155 races, 141 seconds, and 162 thirds from 1,074 mounts.
In Jamaica, Badrie will be represented by jockey’s agent Donovan Wilson.
