WITH promoting company Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Ltd (SVREL) operating consistently in breach of Rule #44 (iii), which stipulates that all runners in a race shall be at the starting gates at post time, effective April 1, 2024 Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) empowered the operation stewards, at their discretion, to order the abandonment of any race delayed beyond five minutes past the advertised post time.

The recommendation of Finance Minister Nigel Clarke last Thursday for the suspension of Rule #44 to be replaced by a measure imposing fines for future breaches by SVREL, although yet to be gazetted, was in effect immediately.

The opening event of 10 on today’s programme started at 12:18.05 pm, instead of noon. It will be interesting to see the response when the schedule of fines is released.

Those who neglected to back Undecided (Jordan Barrett), trained by Steven Todd for the 1000-metre straight opening event, must have shed gambling tears of regret.

The seven-year-old grey/roan horse was always prominent and came home two lengths ahead of the nearest of his seven rivals.

In race two, run at 1000 metres straight, favourite Jaguar (2-5), saddled by Ricardo Mathie Jr and the first of two winners for jockey Robert Halledeen, was hardly convincing in victory. The speedy five-year-old sprinter scrambled in by only half a length in front of 5-1 bet
Legal Bomb (Delroy Beharie).

Race three, contested by a field of seven over 1400 metres, was won by Cookie Day N Night (8-5). Prepared by Gary Subratie, the four-year-old chestnut colt required the full skill set of title-pursuing reinsman Raddesh Roman to get home by a short head over front-running
She’s Myhedgefund (17-1), ridden by visiting Panamanian Josue Osorio.

Popular and affable, hard-working Youville Pinnock deployed his smooth skills to ride the first of his two winners on the day. Firstly, he came home nearly four lengths clear aboard Barrington Bernard’s Heroine (5-2) in race four over 1400 metres.

Then secondly, over the same distance, the generally unpredictable return to form by
Sir John (13-1) resulted in a five-length victory in race five for trainer Edward Walker.

Leading reinsman Tevin Foster registered his sole success on the card with the Philip Feanny-conditioned, US-bred Brittbrian Express (8-5) scoring by over five lengths in the 1100-metre sixth event.

Race seven, the 1000-metre straight Reggae Trophy, went to Is That A Fact (USA), ridden by four-kilo claimer Carlos Blake for the first of two wins for the high-powered Jason DaCosta outfit.

To confirm the stable’s double success, 40 minutes later DaCosta was back in the winners’ enclosure for the formalities of victory, thanks to Rosetta in race eight.

Guided by Robert Halledeen to secure his riding double, the maiden filly was just over four lengths clear at the end of the exertion of 1200 metres.

Recently licensed Nicholas Wehby posted his opening career success with 13-1 bet maiden
Sippin On Sunshine, ridden by Omar Walker for an all-the-way triumph over the 1200 metres of race nine.

In the featured fourth renewal of the 1500-metre Portmore, Run Julie Run (4-5) scored from in front by 10½ lengths, with champion Reyan Lewis at the reins for trainer Ian Parsard.

She now wears the favourite mantle for the fillies’ Classics, the 1600-metre 1000 Guineas and the 2000-metre Oaks.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Edward Walker for the return to form of Sir John, a horse whose massive defeats in his last four starts under the care of two other trainers suggested the six-year-old gelding might have lost the zest for racing.

Cookie Day N Night’s gameness is easily the Best Winning Gallop, and Roman’s performance aboard gets him the Jockeyship Award.