VETERAN Jamaican jockey Roderick DaCosta said he has no plans to retire from the sport anytime soon and will continue to ride as long as he is fit and healthy.

DaCosta, 56, is currently the oldest jockey riding at Caymanas Park, located in Gregory Park, St Catherine. Based in Toronto, Canada, DaCosta has ridden four winners this year at Caymanas Park. “I am 56 years old and I don’t plan to stop riding yet, so I will continue to ride as long as my body holds out,” said DaCosta. “But I am also hoping to be a trainer because horse racing is my life and I love the sport,” he added.

DaCosta recorded his fourth win of the season when he piloted
Easy As A.B.C. to victory in the Lu Chie Poo Trophy over eight furlongs on Saturday. Going off at odds of 3-1, Easy As A.B.C., an American four-year-old colt trained by Donovan Hutchinson, won by four and a half lengths in 1:39.3.
Stomp The Rhythm, with champion jockey Reyan Lewis, finished second while Digital One, ridden by Tevin Foster, took third. The soft-spoken DaCosta noted that he was very happy with the victory and is hoping to win a few more races before returning to Canada later this month. “I hope that I can win a few more races before I leave to go back home to Canada, because I will be leaving soon. This is the horse that made me stay back here in Jamaica,” he said. “I knew that my kids back home in Canada watched this race and so that makes me feel really good and happy,” DaCosta added
.

Easy As A.B.C. entered the home stretch on Saturday in fourth position before splitting the early leaders Neo Star and Digital One in the final furlong, moving away from his rivals to win the race comfortably. DaCosta pointed out that he was always very confident that his horse would come from behind to win the event. “I was pretty confident in this horse because I have been working with him for the past six months. I know everything about him, and he was feeling good, so I wasn’t worried about the other horses in the race,” he said. “I know that once I get him going and he finds his stride, he is going to run up the straight,” DaCosta stated. “I am very happy for this victory, and I am happy for the owner, trainer, and groom because I knew that they really wanted this win.”

DaCosta highlighted that he has always enjoyed riding in Jamaica and will definitely be returning in the near future. “I always feel that energy when I come home to ride at Caymanas Park because I like the Jamaican crowd and how they cheer me on. They give me confidence, and I will always come back home,” he said.