Gratitude with an eye for improvement were at the heart of Tevin Foster’s subdued celebrations after he registered the 100th victory of his growing career at Caymanas Park on Sunday, January 30.

Foster, who has been enjoying exquisite form of late, secured a natural hat-trick to close Saturday’s 10-race card to reach 99 winners. Then on Sunday, he achieved the milestone of 100 winners aboard the Leroy Tomlinson trained Azaria in a high-claiming event going six and a half furlongs (1,300 metres).

Since earning his licence in 2018, the young jockey, who is the brother of Orlando “Chucky” Foster, knew he had been ticking along nicely but was overwhelmed when he heard that a century of winners was now in the bag.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to reach 100 winners, really fantastic to get to that number and I didn’t even know I was there because I wasn’t checking but to achieve this milestone is nice, and I am happy,” Foster told this publication.

“First and foremost, I want to give the Almighty thanks and I must also say thanks to everyone who has supported me and especially those who have been supporting me throughout my career, even throughout my injuries and ups and downs. So, I just give thanks and just hope for their continued support as I go along,” he said while adding that injuries have suffocated his career and the support received helped in a significant way to get him back in the saddle with some amount of confidence. Foster returned to the saddle in the second part of last year after taking a while to recuperate from injuries received after a fall.

Foster’s 100-win milestone is complemented by 112 second-place finishes and 115 third-place finishes from approximately 867 rides to date.

While content with how things are now going in his career, Foster feels there is still plenty of room for improvement.

He currently sits third on the jockeys’ standings with eight wins, two behind leader Dane Dawkins on 10. Robert Halledeen occupies the second slot with nine wins.

“Yeah, I am hopeful that there are more winners to come. Things are looking good at the moment but I believe I can still improve, because I am still learning each day, so I am sure I will keep getting better as my career progresses,” Foster noted.

“But as you know it all comes down to how often you get rides and not just any ride but good rides as well. So again, I’m grateful to all the trainers who have placed their confidence in me and I just hope for their continued support and to make them proud,” said Foster, who has been a staple in the saddle for champion trainer Anthony Nunes.

Foster’s association with Nunes has been duly rewarded with an increase in winners. It was Foster who provided Nunes with a major lift in the close trainers’ race last year when he produced a peach of a ride on the filly Golden Wattle to win the one-mile Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, the richest two-year-old race on the local calendar.

“Foster is a fine young man. He is dedicated, and a hard worker who is dedicated to perfecting his craft.

“He is quiet but very competitive by nature, and have beautiful hands which horses especially fillies responding well to him.

“All being well, Tevin has the potential of becoming a champion jockey,” Nunes said in his comments of Foster.

Foster has not only attracted the champion trainer as evidenced by the uptick in the number of rides he has procured race day after race day. Foster, for example, has mounts in eight races of the 10 that will be contested tomorrow at Caymanas Park. This is the most rides by any jockey on the day.