JUDGING by the lines at the teller windows, the decision by promoting company Supreme Venture Racing & Entertainment Limited (SVREL) to divest wins and place betting partially in a shared market with BetMakers Fixed Odds, operating on-track only, is attracting considerable interest.

In each race there is inducement by risk-taking Bet Makers offering significantly better odds than calculated in the totalizator sales islandwide. It will be interesting to know how viable this commission-based arrangement will benefit SVREL as this was tried with a company called Chrisbet three years ago.

The traditional 1300-metre New Year’s Day and the 1820-metre SVREL Fan Appreciation trophies shared the spotlight as the joint feature events on the nine-programme. Run as the final event, the New Year’s Day, restricted to four-year-olds and upwards non-winners of two races, was won by G T Boy (9-5), conditioned by Anthony Nunes. Ridden by Tevin Foster, this was the closing leg of a double for this jockey/trainer combination as the day’s third — contested over 1100 metres — was won by promising three-year-old filly Volatility (1-5).

Installed as the 6-5 favourite and toting top weight (57 kilos), US-bred Lure Of Lucy was posted in unbeatable condition by champion Jason DaCosta. The five-year-old mare dominated affairs early to lead the charge round the Clubhouse Turn comfortably and into backstretch 1400 metres out, with a threatening two-length advantage. Run as race eight, the fact of the matter is the chestnut progeny of Maryland stallion Uncle Lino had her field in trouble with 800 metres to come. Former six-time champion Omar Walker waited in front before asking her to outstay rivals for the Fan Appreciation by a conservative five lengths.

Speaking of outstaying rivals, in the opener, even money favourite Stallwalkin’girl, saddled by veteran Errol Subratie and ridden by 3-kilo claiming jockey Shane Richardson, was just over two lengths better than her nearest in the 1820-metre gallop for the McKay Security Trophy.

Former three-time champion reinsman Anthony Thomas opened his seasonal account in race three with the Steven Todd-trained eight-year-old mare Lala Diva (6-1) outsprinting stablemate Fabulosity over the 1100 metres of race two.

Jockey Javaniel Patterson enjoyed a nine-length runaway over the 1100 metres of race four aboard Little Grovy Thing (utero) saddled by Errol Burke, at odds of 5-2, to open the best day in the trainer’s fledging career. Predictably Schlesinger (6-5), runner-up on three occasions to a free-scoring horse named Okahumpka, justified his betting status by a length and a half in race six over the 700 metres of the straight course. Reyan Lewis was at the reins for trainer Burke to confirm his stable’s first double success.

Inconsistent five-year-old gelding Hijo Primero, trained by Dennis Thwaites, was driven to lead inside the last 200 of the 1400 metres of race five by Roger Hewitt to reward backers with hugely profitable odds of 21-1.

In race seven, meanwhile, Princsshootingstar (3-5) — trained by former fourteen-time champion Philip Feanny — owed her success to the experience, skill set and balance of the veteran reinsman to hold on for a narrow victory.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Jason DaCosta for the performance Lure Of Lucy (USA), who was kept racing over distances well short of 1820 metres but went down only by a neck in her previous attempt and followed up with the Best Winning Gallop on this card. Mullings earns the Jockeyship Award for his acumen previously mentioned.

This column wishes to congratulate the 2022 champions in all categories, especially trainer Jason DaCosta and jockey Dane Dawkins for their efforts which resulted in them being crowned first-time champions.

Best of racing luck to all concerned in 2023!