ROBERT Halledeen — one of the most colourful, engaging and enigmatic riders with a significant fanbase — after finishing second aboard 1-2 bet favourite Wilson, objected to first-past-the-post Always Wright (5-1) for interference inside the last of the seven and a half furlongs of the opening event. The race day panel of operation stewards, following their own official inquiry, agreed on the merits of the objection and the requisite action was taken.

Runner-up Wilson, declared by Edward Walker, was all of eight lengths second but the incident caused
Skyrizi to fall, and Always Wright (Richie Shakes) was disqualified from the race for Halledeen to secure the first of two wins on the day. Incidentally, this was the second occasion this season, in its last three races, when, after making the frame, the mare suffered this fate as she failed to finish with the declared head gear equipment in her race of January 17, 2026.

Blinding Light (2-1), after several placed finishes (seven seconds and six thirds) in 33 attempts, finally released its maiden tag in the day’s second, run at five and a half furlongs. The six-year-old bay horse won by just over two lengths, with 2023 champion Reyan Lewis at the reins for conditioner Gary Griffiths.

Winning race three aboard The Soul Warrior (15/1) was the start of a memorable race day for apprentice Tajay Suckoo of the Jamaica Racing Commission riding school’s Class of 2024. Saddled by Donovan Russell for the trip of seven and a half furlongs, the five-length victory by the five-year-old grey horse was the first of three on the day for Suckoo.

Owned and trained by Oral Hayden and guided by two-time and reigning champion reinsman Raddesh Roman, Unruly Don (2-1) made the two-and-a-half-length success of this five-year-old horse — a progeny of Savoy Stomp — over the six and a half furlongs of race four appear easier than it was in reality.

For the first of two on the day from the stable of champion Jason Dacosta and the second for Halledeen, Starraura (4-5) skated in eight lengths clear of her nearest rival over the six furlongs of race five — a race restricted to horses yet to win twice. Dacosta’s second was actualised in the closing event of the 10 races as Bigger Boss (Tevin Foster), with a 2-1 bet against him, in a workmanlike gallop scored by three and a half lengths over the six and a half furlongs.

If apprentice Richie Shakes was still feeling the disappointment over the disqualification of Always Wright in the opener, he obviously ensured it had no lasting effect. The promising reinsman brought the Norman Smith-trained maiden filly, Bosslady Janet (28-1), with an exquisitely timed effort to lead in the final strides of race six over five and a half furlongs to score by a head.

Former three-time champion Anthony Nunes, not to be outdone by his main rival DaCosta, for the first of two wins posted improving three-year-old filly Another Wow (1-1) to canter round for a 10-length romp over the six and a half furlongs of race seven. This, with Suckoo securing his second winning ride of three.

After the seven-furlong race eight — won by 3-5 favourite Boss Man and saddled by Peter-John Parsard, with six-time champion Omar Walker at the reins for a dominance of over eight lengths — the second success for the Nunes camp — and the third to confirm Suckoo’s best day in the saddle — came in the featured Allan E “Billy” Williams Trophy, with 5-1 chance Florindia (USA) leading all the way to be more than nine lengths the best over the seven furlongs of the contest.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Norman Smith for the improvement of Bosslady Janet who was last of 13 by 50 lengths on her August 25, 2025 debut and who accumulated another 58 in arrears in three subsequent races, with no signs of promise or competitive ability. However, she delivered the Best Winning Gallop to win an event in which the first six to finish were covered by less than two lengths. Richie Shakes takes the Jockeyship Award as the victory by Bosslady Janet demanded the full range of his skill set in that close of a finish.

Bigger Boss easily wins with Tevin Foster aboard. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)