IT was 24/1 against Diamond Rock in the opener on the programme of nine races, but saddled by owner/trainer Courtney Williams and ridden by three-kilo claimer Carlos Blake the five-year-old bay horse survived the late challenge of 5-2 bet General Chief (Everton Stone) to score by a short head over the 1300-metre trip.

Title-chasing reinsman Raddesh Roman, on 104 and trailing his chief rival Tevin Foster by four in the contest for the 2024 riding honours, signalled the start of a productive day with Noble Impulse (1-5) — declared by owner/trainer Steven Todd — and won the 1000-metre race two on the round course by over 16 lengths.

Race three, run over 1100 metres, went to 3-1 bet Dodge This Link, ridden by three-kilo claimer Abigail Able from in front to score by just over two lengths for trainer Orville Johnson. Forty minutes later, Roman was back in the winners’ enclosure with another wide-margin success following a romp of over 12 lengths by Gary Crawford’s maiden filly Tiffany Blu (2-5), in the day’s fourth event run at 1200 metres.

Foster’s response to Roman’s double came in race five with Anthony Nunes’
Immeasurable Joy (6-5) scoring by two and a half lengths over the 1100-metre trip. Former champion Dick Cardenas, who returned to riding at Caymanas recently, was aboard Acknowledgeme (6-5) as the four-year-old filly won by 13 lengths over the 1000-metre straight gallop for the major slice of the race six purse.

In race seven over 1820 metres for the featured Royal Dad Trophy, Victor Sanchez — a countryman of Cardenas’s — made it a double for these Panamanians as Mack And Rome was posted in unbeatable front-running condition by Saqlain Roman for a convincing success of over three lengths.

On his way to what would be a four-timer eventually, Roman’s third was confirmed with
Bad Investment (5-1) — owned and trained by Oral Hayden— winning the 1600-metre race eight by nearly seven lengths. The well-populated Tevin Foster fan club was stunned as Roman made further inroads when Press Conference (6-5), saddled by Ian Roberts, won the ninth and closing event run over the 1000-metre straight course.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Saqlain Roman for the performance of
Mack And Rome who executed the Best Winning Gallop. For the Jockeyship Award, Raddesh Roman is recognised for his skills displayed in winning a competitive race aboard Press Conference, who scored by a neck.

Heroes’ Day 2024 on Monday, October 21 was nothing short of unsatisfactory as only two of the nine races were completed. The opener, run over 1000 metres round for three-year-old maiden fillies, went to 1-2 favourite She’s Dallas Love, ridden by veteran Oniel Mullings to a nine-length margin of victory for conditioner Gresford Smith.

In the 1200-metre race two, first past the post Tekapunt (4-5), ridden by Samantha Fletcher, was demoted from first place and the race awarded to Salud (2-1), saddled by Carlton Cunningham, with Tevin Foster aboard. The merit or otherwise of the Jamaica Racing Commission operation stewards’ decision to disqualify cannot be dealt with in this column, however the response of the on-track bettors to disrupt the race meeting made no sense as the promoting company had no role here.

It also must be recognised that in wagering, there is an understood agreement by the punters to accept the result — whether there is a difference of opinion on the outcome of steward inquiries or not. Acceptance is an absolute requirement. And, in any event, whilst backers of the horse first past the post lost, dividends were declared and credited to the official winner on the day. Such is the element of luck intrinsic in gaming.