At Caymanas Park race track on August 22, 1959, race one was won by a horse called Roman Road, ridden by 1958 champion Barrington Smith for trainer Kingsley Rose. For those who have been fascinated by, and/or participated in the sport, it is a lifelong engagement and so it is for Rose. Before the opening post time of each race day he can be seen alighting from his motor vehicle in the official car park.

As promised it is now time to look at the achievements of some of the most famous horsemen and the lone great female. Eileen Cliggott, a British migrant, who conditioned horses to win major races for her patron, the late former Jockey Club president and sugar industry mogul Alex Hamilton, also developed a reputation for grooming many apprentice jockeys of which the exploits of Karl Brown, Donovan Lindo and the late Vassel “Jollyman” Najair are best remembered.

Let’s start with the breeders, as up to 1992 this industry overperformed to produce a horse population of 1,300 until its effort was undermined by the ill-advised and disingenuous introduction of the American aberration of a racing product delivered in a claiming system format in January 1993. This left the industry teetering on the brink of extinction since and only survived through Government cash injections and tax write-offs up to 2017.

This flawed claiming system was established here mainly on the unsubstantiated basis that the integrity of the industry, growing at an average of 10 per cent annually for 30 years, needed to be protected from corrupt practices. Further, the trading of racehorses could be a viable economic activity. Neither was true then, not so now and not ever.

Orange Valley Estates has won 21 breeders’ titles on a foundation laid by the late great Calvin O’Sullivan. Ham Stables has racked up 15 with Howard Hamilton at the helm and individual Henry W “Justice” Jaghai, 10, with trail blazing owner/breeding Pat W Chung winning six at Caymanas Park. Other notable champion operations included YS 1955 Limited, Mamee Ridge Farms and Grange Farms.

Dealing with the great trainers, the late Wayne DaCosta with 18 titles and Philip Feanny, 14, for a total of 32, therefore they dominated over the last four decades. In fact DaCosta’s 2,291 trips to the winners’ enclosed accounted for stakes earning exceeding $1.0 billion. Kenneth Mattis, a former top-flight jockey whose career in the saddle accounted for 318 successes, was a seven-time champion conditioner. Laurie Silvera won four titles then migrated to Canada to win championships there

Looking at some great owners, Pat W Chung, in addition to six titles as a breeder, was the leader in this category 1959-1965. In terms of stakes earned, Carlton Watson is on top with over $200 million followed by Hamark Farms. Richard Azan took seven individual titles and as a partner in Elite Bloodstock was associated with another four.

I acknowledge that many more significant contributors to the breeding and owning of horses at Caymanas could be mentioned but space is limited. In my next article, I will be dealing with the greatest jockeys and thoroughbreds to have graced the Caymanas circuit.