Six-year-old chestnut gelding Press Conference, in a heart-stopping finale, produced a late surge to nose out Joy Is Golden (Samantha Fletcher) by a neck in the $1.25-million Nigel B Nunes Memorial Cup on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

The Overnight Allowance contest, held over the straight course at five furlongs (1,000m), saw Press Conference, trained by Ian Roberts and ridden by Raddesh Roman, cross the finish line in a blistering 59.0 seconds.

Roberts was overjoyed with the victory, praising his gelding’s exceptional ability to thrive in challenging conditions.

“It was an extremely good win. These are the wins that make it worth it,” Roberts told the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

Press Conference’s journey to victory was far from smooth. He was slowly into stride at the off and he struggled to find racing room. However, Roman’s patience paid off, expertly guiding his mount to deliver a thrilling comeback.

“He loves the muddy conditions, the sloppy conditions, and the straight is his hometown,” Roberts said. “He loves to run out of the straight. It was good all round.”

As Roberts looks to the future, he remains cautious, prioritising Press Conference’s recovery. “We’ll look at the conditions and see what’s out there for him. If he comes out of this race good, we’ll be back really soon.”

Roman also shared his thoughts on the heart-stopping ride aboard Press Conference.

“At one point I was worried,” Roman admitted.

“We missed the break and were behind from the start. But I didn’t panic.I urged him for the first half furlong, then put him back on his bit, got his legs back together, and positioned him for a winning run from a furlong and a half out.

“With half a furlong to go, I knew I had the race. My horse was travelling smoothly, and
Joy Is Golden was fading,” Roman recalled.