PATRICK Fong, the Everyman of Jamaican racing, died on Good Friday at his Caymanas Park stable. A fixture at the St Catherine track since 1972, the veteran trainer was 66 years old.

Fong’s son, Tereif, told the Jamaica Observer that his father died from complications of heart disease. He suffered a stroke two years ago, and was also diabetic.

Fittingly, he died at the track where he made his name for 54 years.

In an interview with The Real Players on YouTube in 2024, Fong spoke about his long association with Caymanas Park.

“Caymanas is my place, all my life has been here,” he said.

Fong was from Savanna-La-Mar, Westmoreland, and aspired to be a jockey when he arrived at Caymanas Park in 1972 at just 12 years old. After those dreams were dashed, he became a groom at the stables of Eileen Cliggott and Wayne DaCosta.

He rose to become president of the Grooms’ Association, was granted a trainer’s license in 1992 and also served as a director of Caymanas Track Limited, former operators of Caymanas Park. Fong had immediate success as a trainer with Sunset Cruise and Damocles and eventually saddled 250 winners.

In an interview with the Observer in 2016, he mentioned Pinelope, Perfect Ten and Princess Shemika as the best horses he trained. Fong’s last winner came one year ago with Hotbred Scammer who won the Aston Commock Memorial Trophy with jockey Richie Shakes.

Patrick Fong is survived by nine of his 10 children, 11 grandchildren, several brothers and sisters.

His funeral service is scheduled for May 10 at Perry’s Funeral Home in Spanish Town.

He is the latest death to hit the Jamaican racing circuit. Jockeys Barrington Harvey, Capleton Wynter, Oneil Mullings and Ian Sirjue died in the last eight months.

— Howard Campbell