Racing United’s sojourn to the top of the standings after the first round of games in the Wray and Nephew Jamaican Premier League (JPL) this season is no surprise, but rather the fruits of a long-term project that began eight years ago, says head coach Anthony Patrick.

The Portmore-based team will enter 2026 as the so-called “winter champions”, an informal title for the side leading their league table at the midway point.

Promoted to the JPL for the 2023-2024 season, Racing have announced themselves two seasons later as a bonafide playoff contender and possible title challengers.

Located next door to the iconic Caymanas Park, Racing sit atop the JPL with 26 points, just ahead of Montego Bay United on goal difference. But more importantly, they have shown that they belong with morale-boosting wins over the last two Caribbean champions, Cavalier SC and Mount Pleasant FA.

“For the winter break, or as they say overseas, the winter champions, I think we’ve done well. We finished on a high for December and for the first round,” Patrick told the Jamaica Observer. “I think we showed a lot of quality, a lot of guts, a lot of determination. We wanted to start off positive.”

Patrick explained that last season they started slowly and ended up just missing out on the top-six to qualify for the playoffs. It’s something he set out to change this season.

“We don’t want what happened last year, where after the first five games, we keep playing pretty football and not getting the good result that we needed, and we finished last season just about 7th or 8th, out of the top six because of not winning games,” he said. “So we start positive this time around. I set out and said, I want 25-plus points going into the next round, we have 26. I must say kudos to the team.”

Racing have won seven of their 13 games, drawing five times with only one defeat. Outside of Racing, only Caribbean champions Mount Pleasant have as little as one defeat – a loss inflicted by Racing.

Still, Patrick feels the team could have done even better, pointing to disappointing recent 0-0 draws with Chapelton Maroons and Harbour View, which he believes they should have won by wide margins.

“We threw away two very, very important games, [including] missing a penalty in our Chapelton Maroon game. We keep creating but not finishing as much as we should,” said Patrick.

He has big dreams for a Racing team he took over in 2017 with mostly teenagers, many of whom featured for him at the youth level with St Catherine High, who he has guided to the Walker Cup title three times (2019, 2021 and 2025).

“Thanks to all who started with me from 2017 at Racing. Those are the players who are the base of the team now. Not much from outside,” he noted.

Patrick also brought in experienced player Chauvanny Willis and Deandre Thomas and, along with Tajay Grant, Markovich Brown and Nickyle Ellis, formed the spine of his team, blended with the talented skipper of St Catherine High, Kadean Young, and the lethal Dwight Gentles, who was the MVP of this season’s Walker Cup.

The likes of Deandre Johnson and Jevaughn Brown also make Racing United an interesting team and certainly one to watch.