PRIOR to the last two and a half decades, the Easter weekend race cards were special and even included the opening Classics. But this, sadly, is no longer the case. As things stand, the Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association (TOBA) and the United Racehorse Trainers Association of Jamaica (URTAJ) have been largely silent as they continue the labour under a 33-year misconception that the racing product is performing at a level to facilitate purse increases of a certain adequacy.

Truth be told, the complicated claiming system racing product, with the horse population divided into 21 categories, continues to underperform by delivering a disproportionate number of odds-on favourites and smaller fields, with inferior horses conceding weight to superior ones. The metric of proving this is untenable is well chronicled in these columns, but the operatives of TOBA and URTAJ are yet to be convinced the industry is in obvious decline anit is the fault of the promoting company SVREL.

As a matter of objectivity, no one should oppose change but it has to be for the better — which claiming has not delivered. From a marketing viewpoint the local racing industry has been hamstrung by operatingwith a product that in 33 years has not grown the customer base, and consequently the ownership cohort, not to mention the breeding industry. Still, the owners —fanatical and financially exploitable lovers of the sport — continue to replace the Government’s US$40-million subvention up to 2017 and deliver the requisite subsidy to keep things operational.

On now to today’s race card. For the first of a double, second-generation reinsman and two-time champion Shane Ellis won the five-furlong round opening event aboard 1-2 bet Sugar Daddy, a near one-length winner for long-serving conditioner Errol Subratie. Gary Griffiths’s maiden four-year-old filly Ruby’s Light was always clear over the seven furlongs of race two to win by over six lengths for claiming jockey Rotajmar Weir, who was recording his first career success.

After a wait of an hour, Ellis had his double with Incredible Jo (USA), from the camp of Adrian Prince, scoring over the five-furlong straight course by more than nine lengths. Over the same distance for race four, Tapit Good (6-1) returned to form for trainer David Powell with a six-length margin of victory.

In race five Wesley Henry, the 1997 champion, had trademark success aboard the Anthony Nunes front-runner
Brompton Boy (1-1) as the diminutive reinsman reminded his fans of his special skills with similar horses, which preferred to be early pacemakers. Reyan Lewis, the 2023 titlist, was the third former champion to visit the winners’ enclosure as the Peter-John Parsard-schooled Boss Man (6-5) was two lengths ahead of the field at the end of the six furlongs of race six.

Featured on the programme of 10 races was another renewal of the Saint Cecelia Cup and Rohan Mathie-presented, 4-1-backed, Pack Plays (USA), tuned to the minute for Shane Richards to ride a tactical race from in front to score by two lengths over the six-and- half-furlong gallop.

Champion Roman Raddesh justifiably got his opening success of a double when Jason Dacosta’s US-bred colt
Girvano (3-5) had his ground taken in the process of delivering what would have been a successful challenge of front-running Unruly Mo (USA) on the far rails a furlong out. Switched to the outside, Girvano (USA) rallied well to be just ahead, second to the Shane Ellis-ridden Unruly Mo who was duly disqualified from first in the seven-and-half-furlong race for the TOBA Trophy.

After opening at 5-1 it was eventually 8-1 against Fault Line, owned and trained by Phillip Lee and guided by Phillip Parchment to score in race nine. Drawn against the inner rails and off the early pace, Parchment exploited an opening on the far rails 100 yards out, running on well to score by three parts of a length in the event which was run at seven and a half furlongs. Declared by Steven Todd, favourite CosmicForce (8-5) delivered a near-two-length victory advantage to confirm Roman’s double in the nightcap over six and a half furlongs. Both of Roman’s mounts finished secon but were elevated to first place after disqualifications, giving him two wins.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Phillip Lee for the return to winning form of Fault Line.Winner of five of 52 starts, the seven-year-old bay horse last made the frame with a second-place effort on May 24, 2024 but has been well behind in nine races since, However, it delivered the Best Winning Gallop today. The skill set and tactical execution of Phillip Parchment aboard Fault Line is worthy of the Jockeyship Award.