The preview of next month’s one-mile 1000 and 2000 Guineas opening Classics, slated for the seventh and eighth of June for three-year-old fillies and colts, respectively, unfolded with the staging of the seven-and-a-half-furlong The Kingston for the males and The Portmore for the females.

The results were interesting with both raising more questions than answers as to the likely outcomes on those days little over a month hence.

With the absence of impeded Honour Prince, awarded the seven-furlong Prince Consort after the disqualification of first-past-the-post offender Runaway Star, the Kingston, staged as the eighth of nine races, generated a number of pre-race talking points. Both horses finished five lengths clear of the third-place finisher Mark My Identity in the Prince Consort to suggest that defeat was unlikely for Runaway Star, bet as the 3-5 favourite today.

The Jason DaCosta-conditioned colt led under pressure until worn down by Sensational Soul (9-2), declared by Gary Subratie and ridden by Shane Ellis for a triumph of a half a length.

The criticism of champion Raddesh Roman’s handling of the front-running tactics by Runaway Star is unwarranted as being a Northern Giant progeny, the Jason Dacosta-schooled fractious colt just failed to see out the distance.

The Portmore, run as race nine, was even closer with 2-1 favourite, Social Aviator piloted by Robert Halledeen, holding off chief rival Burning Hedge (5-2) by a neck to mitigate the Jason DaCosta disappointment at the defeat of Runaway Star.

Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes winner Burning Hedge had to concede 6lbs to Social Aviator who finished ahead of her in the Thornbird Stakes while conceding 4lbs.

It is high time the bizarre weight allotments in the projection condition book be replaced by genuine handicapping in all races, claiming or otherwise, to reduce the huge numbers of odds-on favourites.

This was 389 of the 755 races in 2024 which is similar or worse in each of the 33 years of the claiming system. For success, a gaming product, by its very nature, cannot be presented in a format where the outcome is perceived to be easily predictable.

Expected to remain undefeated for three from three, the 2-5 favourite The Hot Dancer, saddled by Fitznahum Williams for the six-furlong gallop, won the opener by a length over 10/1 shot Papa Gray.

This was the first of the riding double for claimer Richie Shakes as he followed up with a three-length front-running victory aboard 5-2-bet Bowmore (USA) for the stable of Phillip Lee over the five-and-a-half furlong second event.

The 2023 titlist Reyan Lewis had the first of his double with Princess Cataleya (7-2), saddled by Patrick Lynch, to win by nearly three lengths over maximum straight course.

Lewis’ closer came in the seven-furlong race five with Saqlain Roman’s Iannai Links (6-5) scoring by over 16 lengths.

Roman secured a triple with Storm (1-1) winning the seven-and-half race four by 16 and a half lengths for trainer Carlton Cunningham and Queen Latepha (9-2), declared by Greg Fennell, taking the sixth event, run at six furlongs by eight and a half lengths.

The champion jockey three-timer was confirmed by Final Load (USA) delivering an all-the-way victory by four and a half lengths for conditioner Winchester McIntosh’s second of the season.