THE opening Classic of the 2025 Racing Year in Jamaica was the day’s feature as 15 fillies, foaled in 2023 and considered good enough by the connections, reported to the starter — this time for the 50th staging of the Jamaica 1000 Guineas run as race 10.

The result of the event was anticlimactic as 3-2 favourite Burning Hedge was just under six lengths the best. Bred, owned and trained by Carl Anderson, Burning Hedge was the seven-length winner of the 2024 Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes and was voted best local-bred last year.

She conceded weight all-round in The Portmore, an important Classic trial on May 4, 2025 and only failed by a neck. Therefore, with her all weighted at 126lbs, only a below par performance from Burning Hedge, partnered with Raddesh Roman for hisfourth success on the day, would have yielded a different outcome.

Supporting the Classic feature was the seven-furlong Eros Trophy Graded Stakes/Open Allowance. Despite being weighted at 126lbs and set to concede upwards of nine pounds, rendering him unlikely to win, US-bred Commandant, the 4-5 bet favourite, stumbled at the start and further unseated Roman over five furlongs out.

Tiz Tok (USA), trained by Anthony Nunes and guided by former champion Wesley Henry, overtook the front-runners with a strong run over the last 110 yards to score by a half-length. Mayo (4-1), saddled by Phillip Elliot, won the opening event run at seven and a half furlongs, with champion and leading reinsman Raddesh Roman inducing a successful late effort to score by just under a widening two lengths for the first of eventually four winning mounts as his dominance of the jockey colony continues.

In race two there was an unpredictable return to form by James. Starting at odds of 22/1, the inconsistent five-year-old saddled by veteran Spencer Chung was always going well for claimer Romane Gordon and sprinted home from off the pace to better the 4-5 favourite by three parts of a length.

Rideallday (USA) impressed over five and a half furlongs of the race. Sent off at odds of 3-5, the well-conformed three-year-old roan colt seems headed now for the top class. Long-serving Ian Spence, aboard the Philip Feanny-conditioned progressive sort, kept him closely in touch with the early pace.

The response was immediate when Spence lengthened the reins and Rideallday (USA) sprinted clear easily to score by eight and a half lengths easing down. Champion conditioner Jason DaCosta saddled his first of two wins on the day in race four.

Lucy In The Sky, bet at 6-5 favourite and declared for a tag of $700,000, dominated the eight-furlong gallop, with jockey Reyan Lewis mostly motionless during the 16-length romp.

In race five, a Maiden Special Weight over five and a half furlongs restricted to maiden fillies in their second season, Woman In Love (3-5), schooled by Peter-John Parsard, was nearly four lengths clear at the finish for Roman’s second of his eventual four-timer and his 50th of the season.

Following the running of the seven-furlong race six, Dacosta revisited the winners’ enclosure as J Spieth led in the final strides and won by a neck at odds of 2-1 for Roman’s third, with the in-form reinsman at his best. After a good break Roman gave J Spieth every chance by allowing him to run from off the pace and then utilising the colt’s finishing speed inside the last furlong.

Owned and trained by Henry Harrison Jr, six-year-old maiden Time Keeper (7-2), running the four-furlong straight course, wore down 3-5 favourite Coalition for a hard-fought victory margin of a half-length, with claimer Everrte Clunis denying Roman what would have been a fourth winner and with more to come on the programme of ten races. Claimer Demar Williams was aboard Design Diva (5-1), who won the ninth. Declared by Michael Spencer, the four-year-old bay filly scored by a half-length over the gallop of five furlongs straight in a long overdue return to form.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Michael Spencer for the performance of Design Diva whose success in 25 races was only one win, a second- and a third- place finish. The Best Winning Gallop came from J Spieth, with Raddesh Roman taking yet another of his frequent Jockeyship Awards for an outstanding tactical demonstration.