IT was on the second Saturday of the month of January 1993, when the government-owned promoting company Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), under the chairmanship of the Danny Melville-led board of directors sanctioned by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), programmed the first Claiming Race heralding the abandonment of the then-flourishing handicap system for a more complicated gaming product.

There is no need to rehash all the details how the decline has evolved over the three decades except to state, firstly, that the annual foal crop is now down to 160 annually from over 400. Then secondly, over the period the Government expended US$40 million in cash injections and eventually wrote off a CTL debt of $1.2 billion in divesting promotion of live horse racing to Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited.The end of three decades is a major milestone in any operation but with good reason there was no acknowledgement as today’s programme attracted 70 declarations — one of the lowest ever for a staged, nine-race card.

The fact of the matter is the claiming system has not delivered development and effectively there is now a serious shortage of owners. Incidentally, there is a similar problem in the US where racetracks struggle to achieve to sustain viability whilst elsewhere in the world jurisdictions operating handicap systems grow year over year.Featured on the card was another renewal of the St.Catherine Cup, a traditional 1200-metre event for top-class sprinters and staged as the eighth. Based on his recent form, Philip Feanny’s American bred five-year-old I’ve Got Magic (4-5) was presented with a simple task.

The horse dominated the early fractions and was three lengths clear at the finish to give reinsman Tevin Foster the third of a riding triple and the second of a training double for Feanny.In the 1500-metre opener the Patrick Lynch – conditioned maiden Print Quality (7-1) did not have the best of starts but struck the front over 1000 metres out and won by three lengths, with Robert Halledeen at the reins.

In the day’s second Foster secured the first of his three-timer aboard Blood Song (3-5) for trainer Anthony Nunes. In tandem with Foster, Nunes secured his second on the card, with Chandra’s Law (6-5) scoring over the 1000 metres of the straight course in race six.Christopher Pearson’s three-year-old débutante Speedie Hare (6-1) led, and under-three-kilo claiming jockey Shane Richardson outsprinted half a dozen rivals, by over five lengths, in race three — also over the 1000-metre straight course.

Conditioned by Gary Subratie and ridden by champion by Dane Dawkins, Love Dub (6-1) was the best by two lengths in race four, staged on the straight course as well.Early favourite to be the 2023 champion claiming lightweight jockey, Ramon Nepare was aboard two-and-half-length fifth race winner Rum With Me (9-1) for long-serving jockey-turned-trainer Fernando Geddes.

A winner by two lengths in the 1600-metre seventh event, favourite Power (1-9) was the first of the two successes for Feanny, a former 14-time champion conditioner.Phillip “Parchie” Parchment, one the best and most beloved of riders, induced a successful late sprint in the nightcap run at 1000 metres straight by piloting 35/1 shot Tiger Bella for Donovan Plummer to open his seasonal trainer’s account. For Parchment this must have erased the memory of an earlier defeat when partnering Inspired Miracle for champion trainer Jason DaCosta in the day’s second as, after being clear at all points of call, he was denied victory by Blood Song in the final stride.

The Training Feat Award is presented to Fernando Geddes for the presentation of Rum With Me, a December 27, 2022 claim, and for declaring a tongue-tie which cannot be discounted in terms of improving the six-year-old’s form to deliver the Best Winning Gallop with the expert assistance of Nepare for his Jockeyship Award.