The 2024 year of racing in Jamaica came to its climax with the contest for riding honours holding centre stage.

Leader Raddesh Roman started the day on 132 winners, three ahead of his rival Tevin Foster with seven and eight mounts, respectively, the outcome could be considered a mere formality; however, it was anything but.

Speaking of mere formality, Foster partnered two-year-old Honour Prince (1-9), schooled by Robert Pearson, for an 11-length runaway margin in the six-furlong second event.

Then 35 minutes later returned to the winners’ enclosure aboard Anthony Nunes’ progressive three-year-old colt Supremasi (1-1) following race three run at seven and a half furlongs.

Foster was not done and40 minutes after in race five, he closed a hat-trick with maiden
Shelly The Rocket (9-5) scoring by nearly five lengths over the straight course for owner/trainer Renex Burrell.

With the score tied at 132 each, to go one up, Roman found a response in race five with
Oil Machine (3-1) saddled by Phillip Elliott romping to a seven-length win margin in the one-mile contest.

Neither jockey revisited the winners but in the final event of nine, Roman was aboard 4-5 bet Empressinthebreeze and Foster on 3-2 bet Medal Award in the five furlongs straight maiden event restricted to maidens four-year-olds and upwards.

Trained by Steven Todd, the race was won by 8-1 chance Clowning Around ridden by Emilio McLean for the first success of his short career.

So, it’s congratulations to Roman as the mantle of champion will well be worth wearing. Foster wilted under the pressure as he thought Roman’s mount was the horse to beat and engaged in suicidal battle of speed which left his bereft of finishing speed and vulnerable to
Clowning Around, one of the slowest horses in training.

The opening event over five and a half furlongs was won by Wilson (1-1) with Javaniel Patterson executing the riding engagement for trainer Patrick Taylor.

Richie Shakes, another of the recent graduates of the Jamaica Racing Commission Riding School (JRCRS), had his first success aboard Benson (7-1) in race six. Shakes kept his mount nicely balanced at the top of the home straight for a near eight-length win over the five and a half furlongs.

Featured on the card was the Dye Job Sprint over six furlongs and 2019 champion Christopher Mamdeen on 1-1 bet Unspun (USA) issued a riding lesson to Roman aboard 1-5 bet Rideallday (USA) inside the last furlong. Mamdeen’s style is decidedly European, where rhythm matters most, he was all poise, balance and with expert use of the whip wore down Roman’s mount for an advantage of a short head.

Following in race eight, another recent JRCRS graduate was in the winners’ enclosure as Demar Williams guided 6-1 chance Sabina to a five-length victory over the five furlongs straight course. Trained by Owen Sharpe, the six-year-old mare had her previous run in the middle of last March.

The Training Feat Award is presented Sharpe for the performance Sabina, while the
Best Winning Gallop was delivered by Unspun (USA) in a gallop that required speed, stamina and courage for success and naturally Mamdeen’s performance the Jockeyship Award is most deserving.

From this column it’s congratulations to all champions generally and in particular, Carlton Watson, owner; Jason DaCosta, trainer; Raddesh Roman, jockey; and Hamark Farms, the leading breeding shed.

In my next column I will be reviewing the 2024 racing year in Jamaica and there is not a lot to celebrate with none of relevant entities — be it regulator, promoter or interest groups — achieving anything to take the industry forward as they all continued to foist the flawed claiming system, which is run in the interest of the more affluent minority, on the naïve majority.