The racing season of 2024 has completed its first two months, with 13 days of action and 124 races.

A thrilling battle has emerged among the jockeys, with a special emphasis on the competition between front-runner Tevin Foster and his closest adversary, Raddesh Roman.

Foster extended his lead with a triple on the final day of racing in February, tallying 23 victories, some seven winners more than Roman, who is on 16 wins.

Foster’s victory rate over 89 rides is 26 per cent, with an excellent 60 per cent finish rate in the top three. Notably, Foster is now a freelance rider, receiving rides from a variety of stables without making an exclusive commitment to any, as opposed to the previous year, when he was affiliated with trainer Anthony Nunes’ barn.

Roman made headlines earlier in February by achieving the accomplishment of six wins in a single day, ascending to the top of the leader board, three wins ahead of Foster.

Despite this, Foster managed to outpace and surpass Roman to attain his current total. Roman’s absence from the last weekend races provided Foster with the opportunity to widen the gap at this nascent stage of the racing calendar.

Roman’s 2024 stats include 16 wins from 51 rides, for a winning average of 31 per cent and a 51 per cent in the money percentage. Former champion Dane Dawkins has had a rather quiet start to the year, with just nine wins to his record.

The fate of Reyan Lewis, the reigning 2023 champion, remains questionable. Lewis has had inconsistent appearances in the saddle since the beginning of the year, with more absences than participation. There has yet to be an official explanation for his reduced number of rides, leaving industry observers waiting with expectation.