The 17th renewal of the King’s Plate over seven and a half furlongs and staged as the ninth and closing event attracted a field of 14 as the main attraction of the day’s programme. The presence of progressive three-year-old colt Sir Don (USA), trained by former three-time titlist Anthony Nunes, who declared champion Raddesh Roman to take charge of the reins again.

In front immediately, 4-5 favourite Sir Don toyed with 7-2-backed American Aviator (USA) for nearly four furlongs before going clear to outclass the opposition by just over six lengths conservatively. The fact of the matter is that three-year-old Sir Don is the only juvenile, in recent memory, whose performances in spectacular times three of four races in his first season merited an Open Allowance/Graded Stakes handicap rating.

It was a 46.4-second near nine-length four-furlong romp on debut, followed by a 10-length canter of 1:06 for five and a half furlongs and a 14-length stroll in 1:26.1 over seven furlongs. Defeats in his final 2025 appearance and seasonal debut on March 21, I feel sure, are reasonably explainable by both trainer and jockey and will be acceptable as well.

Importantly, the other significant result on the card was the victory in race six by debutant filly Social Storm (Clive Lynch). Schooled by Jason Dacosta, the bred-in-the-purple
Aveenu Malcainu progeny, a well-conformed bay, led and scored convincingly by three and a half lengths over the six furlongs at odds of 2-1. This is a performance that may have implications for the upcoming Futurities, as this rangy filly with scope did everything right from start to finish.

The day’s opener was the start of a career-best for second-generation trainer Michael Marlowe, whose milestone of 100 wins was achieved recently. Favourite at 3-2,
Slam Sharp, ridden by Tevin Foster for the first leg of a riding double for him to achieve five wins in 24 hours, was also the first of a triple for the Marlowe outfit.

With 2022 champion Dane Dawkins landing a four-timer on day one of the two-day race meet and the aforementioned Foster a triple, it was time for the 2024 Jamaica Racing Commission Riding School (JRCRS) graduates to react. Champion apprentice Demar Williams led the response aboard Titan Tempo (4-5), with the Phillip Lee charge scoring by a half a length over the seven and a half furlongs of race two.

It was 14/1 against Beneison (Roger Hewitt), declared by Byron Davis. Still, the four-year-old bay colt, a progeny of Sensational Slam, came from well off the pace of the eight-furlong gallop of race three to score by four lengths on a sloppy surface. This, the jockeys have always found challenging, having to be equipped with multiple goggles and changes of breeches on days with heavy rains.

In race four, it was an opportunity for another response from a JRCRS 2024 graduate, and Richie Shakes made winning look easy aboard Always Wright (2-1) over a mile for Marlowe’s second. Whilst in race five, graduate Shaheen Gordon opened a double in partnering Peter-John Parsard’s Don’t Tell Lou Lou (3-1) to victory by a length and a half over the straight course.

Gordon closed his double over the six and a half furlongs of race eight aboard Donovan Powell’s General Chief (7-2), scoring by just over two lengths. Foster confirmed his double and Marlowe’s stable triple aboard six-year-old maiden horse Planner (3-1) over the six furlongs of race seven.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Michael Marlowe for his three-timer, generally, and the performance of Planner, particularly, a horse with only two moderate thirds in 14 starts prior, however, won here by over four lengths. The Jockeyship Award goes to Demar Williams for a clever ride aboard Titan Tempo (USA). In a tactical move, he relinquished the lead approaching the turn for home and regained it inside the last 100 yards after a battle with Robert Halledeen aboard Hickory Slim (7-2) that could have gone either way until it was settled in the final strides.

Shaheem Gordon winning aboard General Chief. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)