The opening event had a disappointing start for the backers of even money joint favourite Fearless Vibe.She stumbled badly in attempting her first stride to send experienced reinsman Paul “Country” Francisheadlong into the sand of the Caymanas Park racing surface. Gifted with an uncontested headline Slamsilano (3-1), trained by Lance Richards, was always clear for two-kilogramme claiming jockey Samantha Fletcher to open her seasonal account.Race two was interesting in one respect. Former two-time champion Shane Ellis, rider of second-place 1-5 favourite Big Guy In Thesky, claimed interference and lodged an objection to first past the post Boasey (3-1) ridden by former six-time champion Omar Walker. Newly minted champion conditioner Jason DaCosta saddled the first of the stable’s two successes on the day.Leaving the backstretch of the 1,400-metre contest, Ellis imagined a likely incident and switched his mount off the rails to the outside of the front-running eventual winner. Nothing amounted from the ensuing inquiry which came after the objection. In many jurisdictions there is an adage, “If the stewards did not see it, then it did not happen.” That does not necessarily apply in Jamaica but generally when the objection comes before the inquiry it is highly unlikely to be sustained.Half an hour later DaCosta confirmed his double with Iannai Links (2-1), allowing Reyan Lewis the luxury of easing his mount close home to register a win margin of six and a quarter lengths at the end of the 1,500-metre gallop of race three.

For the 1,400-metre fourth race it was 8-5 against nine-year-old gelding Secret Traveller in the field of eight. The athletic Roger Hewitt drove the Robert Ffrench trained old battler to a one length victory over eleven-year-old 7-5 favourite Another Bullet.In race five over 1,000 metres straight, first-time champion of last season Dane Dawkins got the defenceof his title underway aboard the extremely fractious mare Wifey Sez So (4-5) — bred, owned and trained by Ian Parsard.

Former three-time champion Anthony Nunes saddled the first of two winners on the day in tandem with jockey Tevin Foster as he partnered with Manaco (2-1) in race six run at 1,100 metres.Promising three-kilo claiming jockey Ramon Nepare, likely to be champion apprentice this season, was indouble riding form. The lightweight reinsman’s mount Roraima (6-5), trained by Keffin Murray, led andwon the 1,820-metre seventh unchallenged.

Then in race eight — run in driving rain and with limited visibility — Nepare was back in the winners’ enclosure in short order. Maiden Xceptional Babz, schooled by Norman Smith, glided over the sloppy surface of the 1,200-metre gallop to win by seven and a half lengths.The feature and final event on the nine-race programme was the staging of the one-off Security Department Trophy over the 1,000-metre straight course. Offering odds of 8/5, the fleet-footed four-year-old filly Prncssshootingstar (Oneil Mullings) led 3-5 favourite Makeupartist. Both shared the lead 200 metres out, the former going just the better, but neither could deny the finishing speed of Curlin’s Affair (5-2) which secured the double for the Nunes/Foster trainer/jockey partnership.The Training Feat Award is presented to Nunes for the return to form of Curlin’s Flight who’s final victory from a tally of three last season came last July but who was so well presented today that the Best WinningGallop was produced. The assistance from the was saddle good enough to earn Tevin Foster yet another JockeyshipAward.