Howard Jaghai’s decent start to the 2024 racing season continued with victories by his charges Premier Identity and Lady Ramdularie on Sunday’s 11-race card.

Premier Identity was victorious in the fourth event, a contest for native-bred five-year-olds (non-winners of three) and imported five-year-olds and upward (non-winners of two).

Lady Ramdularie won the 11th, an event for native-bred four-year-olds and upward (non-winners of two) and imported four-year-olds and upward (maidens). Both horses were ridden by jockey Tevin Foster.

Premier Identity came from behind runners to win the 6½ furlongs event by 2½ lengths ahead of
Anchorman (Oshane Nugent) and Sneaky Joe (Jerome Innis) in a time of 1:24.2.

Lady Ramdularie also came from behind runners to win her race over 5½ furlongs in a time of 1:10.2 by a neck ahead of Maggie Trix (Jordan Barrett) and The Bees Knees (Odeen Edwards).

“This is actually my second time winning two races on a single race card. I did it sometime ago with Sterling Gold and Rose Gold. It’s a very good feeling. I have a small string of horses, and I think I’m doing fairly well,” Jaghai told the Jamaica Observer’s Supreme Racing Guide.

“I was very confident in both of my horses’ chances of winning their respective races. Premier Identity’s race was cheap, plus she has been running some fair races in the class. I knew she would deliver.

“It was the same for Lady Ramdularie, and the distance of 5½ furlongs is her pet trip. Tevin [Foster] rode both of them superbly. I’m pleased with both of their performances. They trained well and ran as such,” Jaghai added.

With these two victories, Jaghai, who only saddled six winners last year, increased his tally to four for the year.

“Winning is not new to me. I’ve now won 107 races in a career spanning 23 years. I’ve been doing the same thing over the years, which is giving my horses the best nutrition, making sure that they are sound and fit, and choosing the right races for them. I also have a good team of grooms, which is imperative in order to succeed in horse racing.

“My goals are rather personal, but I can tell you this: I’m still very meticulous, as I was in 2001 when I graduated from the JRC trainers’ course with high honours,” Jaghai noted.