RULE #44, Section (VI) of the 1977 Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) Racing Rules states in part…“in the case of emergency, deemed by the stewards or the starter, any race may be started with a flag…”.

The starting gate, for whatever mechanical reason, could not be positioned for the 1000 metres of the straight course, rendering race 10 abandoned when it could have been otherwise.

This is a symptomatic encapsulation of the fact there is a serious knowledge deficit that has militated against the growth of the racing industry over the last three decades.

This affliction commenced in 1993 when, against the advice of champion owner/breeders Howard Hamilton and the late Pat Rousseau, the then JRC agreed with a misguided elite that owning racehorses could be a viable business proposition. The governing body therefore allowed the establishment of a complicated and hopelessly flawed claiming system in an amateur environment.

This replaced the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) metric of classification of the horse population, through ignorance, erroneously called a handicap system.

Handicapping is the appending of weights in a race, and is done after classification. There was a failure to understand that BHA methodology ensured that, in offering horse racing as a gaming product, it was easy for the bettors to comprehend classification with horses of similar ability competing with the form equalised to drive wagering.

In 1993, from 300 per cent growth cumulatively in 30 years, the unviable claiming system inherited an average of 115 runners and between 11 and 12 races per day. However, over the 30 years of operation, claiming on average has delivered less than 100 runners and less than 10 races per day. There were 802 races in 2023 down from 856 the previous year.

The horse population has declined by 33 per cent, ownership of horses 45 per cent, and brood mares by 66 per cent. Now there are around 800 horses available, faultily divided into 21 categories ensuring small fields in 40 per cent of the races offering too many odds-on favourites, and thus discouraging wagering.

This results in at least a 15-20 per cent underperformance of the racing product. The error of 1993 has lost an estimated $150 billion in the handle since, and government subsidy is estimated at US$33.0 million — including a $1.2-billion debt waiver.

It was surprising that in 2017 investors Supreme Ventures Limited (so they are not blameless) undertook no due diligence exercise to determine why an industry that grew exponentially in 30 years failed so spectacularly over the succeeding 25 years following the abandonment of classification.

What is also surprising is the lack of recognition that a claiming arrangement and classification are not mutually exclusive but can actually coexist.

It is time Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) and United Racehorse Trainers Association (URTA) stop pretending the claiming system has worked. The economic viability of the promoting company is paramount.

Instead of hounding the promoting company to close the $2.2-billion gap between maintaining the horse population and the $800 million in purses returned, TOBA and URTA must first agree a superior and more viable racing product is a necessity.

The opening event was won in a nine-length romp at odds of 8-5 by Ryan Darby’s Mae Sellington (Paul Francis).

Raddesh Roman rode the winners of races two and three, Crimson (1-5) and Casual Peach (1/1), for trainers Saqlain Roman and Tensang Chung, respectively.

The title-chasing reinsman was back for his three-timer in race five aboard maiden Glittering Magnum (1-1) saddled by Ray Phillips.

Champion Reyan Lewis equalled the feat of Roman with wins in race four aboard Storm A Come (1-1), Rhythm Buzz (3-2) in the featured Mark My Word Trophy, and Captain Sparrow (1-1) for conditioners Patrick Lynch, Vicent Atkinson and Anthony Nunes, respectively.

Robert Halledeen rode 9-1 bet Victoriasmedallion to victory for trainer Leroy Tomlinson in race six.

Veteran Aaron Chatrie returned from a self-imposed exile to score aboard US import Noble Attitude (19-1), declared by Gary Subratie for the ninth event.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Vincent Atkinson for the improvement displayed by Rhythm Buzz, with the colt recording consecutive victories in his last four appearances as well as delivering today’s Best Winning Gallop. The Jockeyship Award is taken by Aaron Chatrie for his performance in assisting Noble Attitude to win by a nose.