The prestigious 2024 Horse of the Year award is one step closer to being decided as voting by a select panel of journalists and industry experts has commenced.

Supreme Ventures and Racing Entertainment Limited (SVREL) has distributed all relevant documents and statistics to the 15-member committee, providing them with a comprehensive overview of the candidates.

While there are several categories up for voting, the Horse of the Year award is widely regarded as the most coveted honour. The outcome of this vote is eagerly anticipated by the racing community, as it recognises the outstanding achievements of the top equine performers over the past year.

The voting process involves a careful evaluation of each candidate’s performance, taking into account factors such as racing record, consistency, and overall impact on the sport. The winner of the 2024 Horse of the Year award will be announced at a later date and is expected to be a highly anticipated and celebrated event.

American-bred runner Funcaandun, owned by Carlton Watson and trained by Jason DaCosta, is poised to sweep the awards at the upcoming ceremony, following a phenomenal 2024 season that saw him win eight of 11 starts and amass a staggering $27,878,200 in earnings.

The four-year-old’s impressive resume includes victories in the prestigious US$250,000 Mouttet Mile (invitational) on December 7, the richest single purse event in the English-Speaking Caribbean, as well as the Philip Feanny Gold Cup on October 5, the top handicap race on the local calendar.

Funcaandun’s dominance extends beyond these signature wins, with a string of impressive performances that have cemented his status as a champion. His impressive record and earnings make a strong case for him to be crowned Horse of the Year.

In addition to the coveted Horse of the Year title, Funcaandun is also expected to take home several other awards, including Best Three-Year-Old Male Middle Distance Performer, Best Three-Year-Old Performer, Best Three-Year-Old Male, Champion Three-Year-Old, Champion Middle Distance Performer, and Champion Foreign-Bred.

While Funcaandun is favoured to take the top honour, two-time Horse of the Year Atomica is likely to be second. The talented mare had another impressive year in 2024, winning four of her eight starts and earning $9,187,250.

Atomica’s victories included a record third consecutive win in the Jamaica Cup, a testament to her enduring class and ability. Her performances make a strong case for her to be voted as the first runner-up to Horse of the Year.

In addition to her expected second-place finish in the Horse of the Year voting, Atomica is also poised to sweep several other categories. She is the clear favourite to win Best Four-Year-Old and Upward Female Middle Distance Performer, Best Four-Year-Old and Upward Middle Distance Performer, Best Four-Year-Old and Upward Female Stayer, Best Four-Year-Old and Upward Stayer, Champion Stayer, and Champion Local Bred.

The 2024 racing season saw several impressive performances from talented local-bred three-year-olds, and two standouts are expected to receive top honours.

Crown Chaser, last year’s Jamaica Derby winner, is poised to take home the award for Best Three-Year-Old Male Stayer and the Best Three-Year-Old Stayer. The colt’s impressive victory in the prestigious Derby cemented his status as a top performer in the staying division.

Meanwhile, filly Run Julie Run is expected to sweep three categories, including Best Three-Year-Old Female, Best Three-Year-Old Female Middle Distance Performer, and Best Three-Year-Old Female Stayer. Her impressive campaign, which included wins in the Jamaica 1000 Guineas and placings in the Jamaica Derby and Jamaica St Leger, makes her a deserving winner of these awards.

The Most Improved Trainer award is shaping up to be a highly competitive category, with six conditioners vying for the top honour. Donovan Hutchinson, Carlton Cunningham, Ricardo Brown, Peter-John Parsard, and Gregg Fennell have all made significant strides in their training careers, and the award could go to any one of them.

Hutchinson is perhaps the most notable contender, having made a remarkable leap from 45th position in the 2023 standings to 11th in 2024. He won nine races last year, earning $11,667,400 in the process.

However, Hutchinson faces stiff competition from the other five trainers. Cunningham, for example, improved from 44th position in 2023 to 15th in 2024, winning 11 races along the way. Brown also made significant gains, rising from 37th position in 2023 to 18th in 2024.

Parsard and Fennell also deserve consideration for the award. Parsard won 11 races in 2024 to finish 18th in the standings, while Fennell saddled 12 winners to rise from 54th position in 2023 to 20th in 2024.

Champion jockey Raddesh Roman is poised to add another accolade to his impressive resume, as he is widely expected to win the Most Improved Rider award. Roman’s remarkable rise to the top of the jockey standings was marked by a staggering 133 wins in 2024, eclipsing his previous year’s total of 50 wins.

Roman’s nearest rival, Tevin Foster, also had a breakout year, riding 132 winners to finish second in the championships. Foster’s impressive campaign was a significant improvement over his 2023 performance, where he rode 88 winners.

While Roman is the clear front-runner for the Most Improved Rider award, other jockeys, including Shane Richardson, Shavon Townsend, Oneil Mullings, and Oshane Nugent, also made notable improvements in their performance. Richardson, Townsend, Mullings, and Nugent all increased their win totals significantly, with Richardson rising from 26th to sixth in the standings, Townsend from 18th to eighth, Mullings from 16th to ninth, and Nugent from 28th to 16th.

However, Roman’s sheer dominance and impressive win total make him the overwhelming favourite to take home the Most Improved Rider award.