Sitting chairman of the Jamaica Racing Commission and the Betting Gaming & Lotteries Commission Clovis Metcalfe was on hand to present the trophy named in his honour and featured as race nine on the programme of 10 races. The recent announcement of a $400-million loss on operations incurred by the promoting company, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited(SVREL), must be concerning to the industry generally and particularly to Metcalfe, a distinguished long-standing owner and breeder.

This flawed claiming system, over the 33 years of its existence, has featured the overmatching of horses in 90 per cent of the races, whereby wide-margin winners as well as odds-on and short-priced favourites are generally the order of the day. In most races, horses with inferior form and ability concede weight to superior ones.

Being established on two false premises: that a handicap system with 300 per cent growth from 28 race days in 1960 to 84 in 1992, with an average 115 daily starters in 11.5 races, lacked integrity and that trading in racehorses could be a viable economic activity, the failure of this racing product was entirely predictable by this writer and others so equipped to make this determination.

Claiming failed to deliver profitability and required a US$40-million combination of cash injection and including a $1.2-billion tax write-off for the government-owned Caymanas Track Limited(CTL), the previous promoting company, to remain operational until divestment in 2017. Now, there is this provably demonstrable claim of a massive $385.5 million loss by the incumbent eight-year-old SVREL reflected in the parent company Supreme Ventures Limited’s Financial Statement of December 31, 2024.I will have more to say on this in a future article.

Why is it that the surviving architects and supporters of the claiming system have been silent in the face of overwhelming and incontrovertible data-based evidence of its failure? Even so, although there can be no legal consequences, I will not, at least for the moment, resort to “name-shaming” of any individual alive in this column and leave it as a collective as I play the analogous role of explorer Columbus, confident the Earth is round whilst most others think it is flat.

The seven-and-a-half furlong gallop of the day’s feature provided top-class handicapper Desert Of Malibu (USA), conditioned by Gary Subratie, to close a stable double by a scoreline of over eight lengths. Although now a six-year-old mare, the outstanding Desert Of Malibu (USA) has retained all of her ability and will be asking questions of the other high-class importees of the opposite sex in the major races in the second half of the season. Subratie’s second came in the nightcap, with 2023 champion jockey Reyan Lewis partnering Bold Move (3-1) to a victory by a length and a half over the straight course.

The triumph in the feature was win number five on the day for champion jockey and 2025 season leader Raddesh Roman. His securing of half the 10 per cent commission, payable to winning jockeys from purse monies on the day, commenced in the opener when consistent
Sir John (8-5), declared by Peter-John Parsard, was in front by three and a half lengths at the end of the contest run at seven furlongs.

In race two, Philip Feanny’s Supernatural Power (1-9) was nine and a half to better than her nearest rival, without the US-importee requiring any intervention from Roman in the home straight. For the ever-improving rider, one wide-margin winner followed another with veteran conditioner Enos Brown’s Nuclear Jet (2-1) winning by 17½ over the seven furlongs of race three.

Roman, the reinsman of the moment, was at his best to secure race four. His mount, Strike Smart (6-5), saddled by Howard Bailey, led the seven-furlong gallop early, was taken off the early fractions to race in fourth to the top of the stretch. Then he charted a path along the far rails to claim a short-head victory in the final stride, thus sending this jockey’s raucous fan club into ecstasy.

To underscore the point made earlier, Rusty (6-5), saddled by Byron Davis, won the five-and-a-half-furlong race five by nearly 14 lengths. Then in race six, Sir Ganga Jamuna (2-1), declared by Rowan Mathie and ridden by Tyrese Anderson, won the five-furlong straight by just under six lengths.

Race seven saw owner/trainer Barrington Bernard’s Uncle Baba (2-1) outstaying his seven rivals over the extended nine-furlong circular course of race seven, with Shane Richardson executing the riding honours. Whilst in race eight, consistent Overnight Allowance campaigner
Kem (6-1), conditioned perfectly by Paul Swaby, led, and rated by seven-pound claimer Demar Williams, won the six and a half furlongs gallop by nearly five lengths.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Rohan Mathie for the performance of six-year-old Sir Ganga Jamuna, who debuted in early 2022, was off the course until mid-October 2024, but since February 8, 2025 has won four of its last six appearances. The Best Winning Gallop was delivered with speed, stamina, and courage by Strike Smart. Raddesh Roman’s expert distribution of this horse’s assets over the trip is unchallenged for the Jockeyship Award.