In 1967 there was the concept of devising a major race, which was neither an outright sprint nor a middle-distance journey but, given the opportunity, a winner could emerge from either category; therefore, the seven-furlong course was thought to be ideal.

The Gold Cup was inaugurated with major sponsor the Cigarette Company of Jamaica marketing the event around their Benson & Hedges brand. The expenditure established a record well beyond that of any previous partnership with private sector entities.

Amazingly, but not necessarily surprisingly, an English-bred horse, Kilowatt, trained by Valbert Marlowe, whose son Michael is now a practising trainer, won the inaugural staging in 1967. This winner was sired by
Firestreak (GB), a top-rated sprint stallion at stud in the United Kingdom. Kilowatt repeated the feat a year later, was a late non-starter in 1968, but returned to the winners’ enclosure in 1970 in an extraordinary training feat.

His name added to the title, eventually. This staging of the Philip Feanny O D Gold Cup attracted a field of 10. Being a qualifier for an automatic invitation to the prestigious Mouttet Mile, the event generated interesting talking points as soon as the weights were published.

Feanny declared three starters, including US-bred Rideallday (seven starts/six wins) and Supernatural Power (seven starts/five wins). The former was set to tote 112lb, the latter 110 and, therefore, confidently predicted by the pundits to be competitive enough to make the frame. The third entry from the stable, Fearless Force, (USA) fared no better than nearly lengths third behind Rideallday in her only race in Open Allowance company.

Bet at 15-1, Pack Plays(USA) set a fairly sensible half-mile pace(23.2×46.2), with Legacy Isle (USA), Desert Of Malibu (USA), and Rideallday (USA) wide in pursuit. Well-ridden by champion Raddesh Roman, Legacy Isle wore down Pack Plays to lead entering the last 250 yards. The Rohan Crichton-trained horse had the momentum to turn back the renewed challenge of third-placed Pack Plays as well as deny wide-running Rideallday by a half a length. Supernatural Power, although registering the worst reaction time to the opening of the starting gates, was just over one length fourth.

It was 6/1 against Gelroy, declared by Cashbert Kwhalsingh for the opening event, a six-furlong contest four-year-olds and upwards with less than two career wins. Promising claimer Jaheim Anderson kept the hard-knocking gelding close and on the bridle before overtaking the two leaders and going on to score by nearly five lengths.

Forty minutes later 2023 champion Reyan Lewis guided 7-5 bet Lion Of Ekati (USA), trained by Norman Smith, to a winning distance of over 11 lengths at the end of the seven-and-a-half-length distance of race two. Then half an hour later, Crown Chaser (3-5), the 2024 Jamaica Derby winner from the stable of Anthony Nuneswon III, run at seven and a half furlongs, by just over seven lengths with 2022 champion Dane Dawkins in the saddle for the first of three wins on the card.

For Dawkins’ second winner, favourite at 2-5, Sudden Flight, entered by Saqlain Roman, was six lengths and a quarter the best in race four, contested over five furlongs straight. Race five, over a similar distance, was secured by 6-5 favourite Talona (USA), trained by owner Oral Hayden and ridden by 2011 champion Dick Cardenas to score by just under two lengths.

Prince Roy (3-5), ridden by 5lb claimer Anthony Allen for champion and season-leading trainer Jason DaCosta, arrived close to end of the seven-furlong gallop of race six to win by three-parts of a length. Whilst in closing his three-timer in race seven, Dawkins had very little jockeyship to execute with Byron Davis’s 3-1 shot,
Mark My Identity winning the seven-eighths of a mile exertion by five lengths. Dawkins’ three winners registered combined winning distances totalling 18 ¾.

Veteran trainer Barrington Dawes got a successful run from 3-5 favourite Big LA (Romario Spencer). Racing for only the second occasion, the three-year-old colt did nothing wrong in a game half-a-length defeat of 7-1 bet Modern Monarch in the day’s eight of nine events. The three-year-old chestnut colt Big LA, in making a belated debut, has scope and could improve with racing.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Barrington Dawes for his patience in preparing Big LA to deliver the Best Winning Gallop, in spite of its inexperience. The decision for the Jockeyship Award was an easy one as champion and 2025 designate Raddesh Roman, who, in terms of judgement of pace, balance, and use of his whip, had to summon the totality of his skill set aboard Legacy Isle in winning the feature.

Prince Roy (#8-Anthony Allen) gets up in time to beat I’m Outstanding (Raddesh Roman). (Photo: Garfield Robinson)