THIS was another day, when eight of the nine races had odds-on favourities, and it continues to be symbolic of the downward trajectory of the industry as the racing office of promoting company Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited(SVREL) struggles to project races that drive competitive wagering. This, given the challenge of the ever-decreasing horse population available for thoroughbred racing, and other compelling reasons.

One of the unintended consequences of delivering the racing product in a claiming system model, which has now been frowned upon by the United States Jockey Club, is that the horse population has to be divided into over 20 instead of seven classes, and this inevitably produces smaller fields. Also, this artificial or non-genuine classification leaves inferior horses conceding weight advantage to superior horses in over 90 per cent of condition races.

The result of this is a disproportionate amount of odds-on favourites, virtually discouraging wagering and hurting the profitability of the promoting company, and here is how: There are only two types of wagers — win and place. Win has 13 options in single and exotic bets, and place is the only other.

Given my research and analysis, which is largely ignored, it is unsurprising to this writer that operatives at the regulatory, promoter, and stakeholders’ level have no appreciation of the negative impact odds-on favourities has on wagering, with most customers spending less with the huge number of possible “bankers”. As a gaming product, horse racing is dissimilar to a conventional lottery, as there is a guaranteed predictability to which number has the strongest possibility of winning.

Hit N Run (1-2), from the stable of champion Jason DaCosta, was the first to oblige, with rider Tevin Foster having to maximise his skill set to prise out a win margin of a half-length. This, over the seven and a half furlongs of the opening event. In contrast, juvenile Mohanlal(4-5), schooled by Richard Azan, took the seven-furlong second event with claimer Tajay Suckoo aboard, for a 10-length romp.

Dane Dawkins, the 2022 champion, had very little to do in the saddle during the seven and a half furlongs of race three, with US-bred Uncle Peck (3-5) scoring for the third-generation owner-trainer to secure the first of a stable double. Whilst in race four, run at five and a half furlongs, it was 37-1 against game front-runner Warsaw (Emelio Mclean) who held on by half a length for owner-trainer Raymond Townsend to enjoy his third victotry from 13 starts this season.

Race five over the straight course was won by four-year-old grey filly Belleza Gris (1-1) — ridden by Jerome Innis for trainer Patrick Lynch and who was racing her for only the second occasion after her belated debut on November 13. If the preparation challenges are resolved, the well-conformed but not yet especially forward Casual Trick progeny is looking likely to improve with racing.

Partnering Feeling Free (5-2), claiming apprentice Jereau Stewart gave himself the perfect birthday gift in gaining his second success from 28 rides this year. To close the Peter-John Parsard stable double, the infrequently engaged reinsman’s mount was over two lengths ahead at the end of the five-furlong straight contest of race six with the maiden colt.

In race seven it became three successes on the day for the Parsard family, with Ian — the father of Peter-John — saddling six-length winner I’m Outstanding (Bebeto Harvey) to score over the seven furlongs at odds of 3-1. The family is also well invested in the breeding of horses, with well-documented success.

Former three-time champion Anthony Nunes had the opener of a double, with former four-time champion jockey Dane Nelson — aboard Papa Uso (4-5) — cantering home in the seven-furlong gallop of race eight by over 10 lengths. The Nunes stable double was confirmed with victory by The HotDancer(4-5), persuaded by champion Raddesh Roman to win by one and a half lengths.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Raymond Townsend for the performance of Warsaw, a four-year-old chestnut colt that is extremely difficult to train, as at the end of his third season he has had only 11 starts with five victories but, nevertheless, delivered the Best Winning Gallop with Emelio McLean taking the Jockeyship Award.

Emelio McLean after his win aboard Warsaw (Photo: Joseph Wellington)