Bred, owned, and trained by former top-flight reinsman, Fitzroy Glispie’s six-year-old bay gelding Money Monster (1-2) won the featured 1,500-metre King’s Plate for Overnight Allowance horses. Piloted by Reyan Lewis for his second win on the card, the favourite was well in control of the pace from the top of the home straight and won by four-and-a-half lengths.

Lewis’s first of three wins came in the opening event aboard 10-1 backed Fault Line, whose sudden return to form was masterminded by 2022 champion and current leading conditioner Jason DaCosta. In front early, the former Philip Feanny inmate had his rivals in trouble from 800 metres out and was four lengths better than 4-5 favourite Simba The Lion when the winning post interrupted the 1500-metre gallop.

Favourite at odds of 2-5, Absolute Blue (Ramon Nepare), bred, owned, and trained by Carl Anderson, did not exert a lot of energy as he was an eight-length maiden winner over the 1200 metres of race two with an effortless gallop. Nepare, this writer’s pick to be the top weight-claiming rider this season, was on his 10th winner of the season from the 69 opportunities he has been afforded.

The panel of Jamaica Racing Commission Operation Stewards have been especially busy of late with sundry riding offences all too frequent as suspension and fines escalated in the first quarter of the season. Following the third event, run at 1600 metres, it took an extraordinarily long time for the officials to disqualify Duke Of Springs (USA) from second as rider Tevin Foster’s whip had made contact with another rival. The race was won by Colorado Ranger (2-1), well ridden by Raddesh Roman and saddled by Lincoln Lungs.

Saddled by former three-time titlist Anthony Nunes, 20-1 backed Modern Miracle (Youville Pinnock) could hardly have been more convincing in outstaying his seven maiden rivals by coasting home more than seven lengths, the best over the 1600 metres of race five.

Winner of race six over 800 metres of the straight course Lady Ben (Tevin Foster) was considerably more predictable as she sprinted in clear by almost four lengths. For the win, Michael Marlowe saddled the four-year-old filly, who returned odds of 3-5.

It was vintage Omar Walker as the former six-time annual best had to summon his vast experience and apply the other facets of his skill set for victory aboard Champion Bubbler (USA) at odds of 6-5 favourite in race seven over 1500 metres. Saddled by Spencer Chung, the four-year-old American-bred bay filly scored by a head over Tekapunt (Reyan Lewis) with Nefetari (Tevin Foster) a further neck in arrears.

Race eight produced yet another close finish with former three-time champion Anthony Thomas giving a riding lesson to three-kilogramme claimer Anthony Allen aboard One Like It (3-2) and She’s My Friend, (2-1) respectively. In a duelling war of attrition executed clear of the remainder from early, Thomas’s abandonment of the whip 25 metres and resorting to the reins only made the difference by a short head.

To be fair, Allen did very little wrong throughout the 1200-metre hustle, but familiarity with similar circumstances over his seven-year career gave Thomas the edge for a riding double. Thomas’s first success was secured in race five contested over the 1,000 metres of the straight course race five won by Steven Todd’s temperamentally roguish Hunter’s Ridge at odds of 2-1.

Former 14-time champion Philip Feanny saddled three of the five in the frame, displaying the result of the 10th and closing event run at 1,100 metres. At odds of 24-1, Platinum Force (USA), with Reyan Lewis confirming his triple feat, was the strongest finisher and took the lead close home. The winner’s stable mates Flybluejet (USA) at (5/1) in third and Inspire Force (USA) at 5-2 in a dead heat for fourth.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Jason DaCosta for the convincing performance of Fault Line, a horse that is obviously difficult to train. The best Winning Gallop is awarded to Champion Bubbler (USA) for her gameness and Omar Walker gets the Jockeyship Award for his outstanding application of the tenets of tactical race riding aboard the filly.