NIGEL B Nunes, in whose honour the day’s featured memorial trophy was contested by a field of 15 over the 1000-metre straight course, was renewed. The outstanding horseman was champion trainer in 1976.

Conditioner of multiple Classic and top-class winners, he was the patriarch of one of the foremost racing families, with wife Hillis being a hugely successful owner and breeder. Following in his distinguished footsteps, his sons Anthony and Andrew have secured titles in Jamaica and Barbados, respectively.

US-bred six-year-old mare American Tap (1-2), declared by Howard Jaghai and partnered by Tevin Foster, confirmed she is of superior class with a near-five-length victory margin in the feature Overnight Allowance run as the seventh of nine races. The well-built consistent chestnut, imported to compete in the Mouttet Mile as her first major objective, won two of her last 11 races at Gulfstream Park, Florida, while being unplaced in only three of those in claiming company over the last year.

In the day’s opener Miss Abigail Able, aboard Sudden Flight (6-1) for trainer Gregg Fennell, followed up her double success on the Heroes’ Day card last Monday in guiding the five-year-old gelding to a two-and-half-length advantage over the field in the 1000 metres of the straight course. Incidentally, Fennell was back in the winners’ enclosure as in its ninth career effort, when his charge Fearless Reina (8-5), ridden by Javaniel Patterson, released her maiden certificate with a near eight-length romp ahead of the seven rivals contesting race five over 1,000 metres straight.

Run over 1,100 metres, the major portion of the purse money was gifted to the connections of KP Choice (1-5) with a near eight-length win margin over five pretending rivals. Jockey Raddesh Roman, for the first of a riding double, collected on behalf of trainer Ricardo Brown. Roman added a second winner to his season’s tally with victory aboard favourite From Sheer To Ben (3-2) for trainer Alford Brown in the ninth and closing event.

The division of the limited horse population into over 20 categories has the inevitable consequence of as high an average of 40 per cent of races projected having small fields. In terms of ability, the breed globally has only eight classes in the talent pool, and any departure from that dynamic reduces the quality of the product. The constant overmatching of horses impacts negatively on the gross gaming revenue and, therefore, profitability of the promoting company.

Speaking of gifts, the same could be said for the Patrick Lynch-saddled Potential (3-5) in securing the 1,400-metre third by nine lengths, with two-kilo claimer Jordan Barrett supplying the riding honours.

Race four was another prime example of a farce. The 1-9 favourite Biblical Legend was nominated and declared by trainer Steven Todd. Although rider Phillip Parchment restricted the nine-year-old mare to a canter in the home stretch, she still won by 33 lengths over the 1,200 metres.

Champion Dane Dawkins had his lone success in partnering trainer Errol Burke’s 7-2 bet Nakamura to success in the day’s sixth run over the maximum 1,000 metres of the straight course.

Tevin Foster had his first of what was two successes on the card aboard the impressive, undefeated, three-time winner Captain Calico (2-1) in the 1,400-metre race seven. Conditioned by Anthony Nunes, the strapping three-year-old bettered the improving American Atlantic Convoy by over six lengths.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Anthony Nunes for the improvement of late-developing Captain Calico who debuted in late May to deliver the Best Winning Gallop. With so many easy winners on the day the Jockeyship Award is earned by Dawkins for his performance in getting promoted Nakamura to score by a diminishing half-length in the most competitive event on the day.