Norblar enters the 2024 racing season on the one-to-watch list following his impressive win in Division One of the Vestia Trophy feature travelling 7 ½ furlongs (1,500m) on Saturday, December 30, 2023.

The then three-year-old bay colt Norblar comfortably won the event for imported three-year-olds (non-winners of the three) and native-bred three-year-olds and native-bred four-year-olds (non-winners four) by an eye-catching 5 1/2 lengths in a time of 1:32.3.

Norblar, ridden by Christopher Mamdeen, settled in second place behind Super Alex (Shavon Townsend) down the backstretch before charging to the front and heading into the half-mile (800m) turn.

Norblar extended his advantage as the race approached the home bend, and went on to easily beat Money Miser (Shamaree Muir) and Huntsman (Tevin Foster). Trainer Gresford Smith was upbeat about his charge’s victory.

“[Christopher] Mamdeen has been working with this horse for a couple of weeks now and so I told him that because he knows the horse well, just go and do his thing,” Smith told the Jamaica Observer‘s The Supreme Racing Guide.

He added: “We have to take it one day at a time and look how he comes out of the race and we will take it from there.”

Mamdeen said that he was confident of victory.

“I was very confident going into this race. I have been working with this horse for a while now, so I knew how to ride him. I am riding with good form, and I hope that I can carry it into 2024,” Mamdeen said.