Race one of ten was uneventful as 4-5 bet Taurus Boy (USA), declared by young Adrian Prince and partnered by former two-time titlist Shane Ellis, for the opening leg of a double, was just under four lengths clear at the end of five-furlong straight gallop.
Formerly trained by 14-time champion Philip Feanny, the eight-year-old chestnut horse was always travelling best and was handled with restraint inside the last furlong.
With the opening events of the 2025 Futurities imminent, trainers of horses with the requisite Classic winning potential and former three-time champion Anthony Nunes, who is certainly in this category, released a rather smart debutant in the form of Another One.
Never off the bridle the well conformed progeny of stallion Aveenu Malcainu cantered over the five straight course and won by over nine lengths in confirming the Ellis riding double.
Race three, restricted four-years-old and upwards with only one win each and run over the five furlongs straight went to 2-1 fancied First Grandson. Saddled by Patrick Lynch for winning rider the 2011 champion Dick Cardenas, the inconsistent Casual Trick bay colt, having his 18th career start won by a half a length.
Robert Halledeen, the leading reinsman who declared he was interested in being the champion for 2025 was the first to get into double figures this year with his 13th success of the season. The popular jockey, known as “Hard Ball” to his many fans, was aboard four-year-old maiden Gelroy (4-5) saddled by Rudolph Hardial for race four over the five furlongs round course gallop.
Then in race five, Zion’s Princess was nine lengths the best over the seven and a half furlongs of race five. Saddled by Lennis Shim, the six-year-old mare was guided by recent Jamaica Racing Commission Riding School (JRCRS) graduate Shaheem Gordon to secure the second success of his fledging career in the saddle.
The sixth event, run at seven furlongs for three-year-old maidens, was won by 4-5 joint favourite Mark My Identity. The 2022 champion jockey Dane Dawkins induced a strong run inside the final furlong to be three parts of a length better than frontrunner Cosalivin (11-1) for trainer Enos Brown.
Coming into the event with above average exercise reports, joint favourite Uncle Harry’s debut was a disaster. Jumping from the gate sharply to the left to lose ground early, the Ian Parsard schooled colt hardly raised a gallop and trailed in last of ten but looks likely to make amends sooner rather than later.
In race seven for maidens, five-years-old and upwards, contested by a field of seven was run on the five furlongs round course. Ironically, second favourite Money Must (1-1) in beating in Double The Cash (6-1) literally doubled the cash for his backers.
Entered by Ricardo Brown and ridden by Phillip Parchment, it has to be said the victory by Money Must was fortunate. Double The Cash had its momentum checked by a weakening rival and failed by only a half-a-length after having to change course when it mattered.
Givemethelight (14/1) arrived in the final stride to win by a nose and deny long-time leader Princess Ifiyah (4-1) first place in the six-furlong eighth event. Ridden by the energetic Roger Hewitt for trainer Junior Panton Givemethelight was also a winner of its last outing on Christmas Eve but is not easy to train.
Race nine, the featured Reggae Month Trophy run on the five-furlong straight course, was gifted to Bootylicious (2-5) who came down in class under the conditions.
The five-year-old bay mare was always clear to win by two and a half lengths for trainer Peter-John Parsard with visiting Panamanian jockey Ismael Velasquez at the reins.
In the final event, it was 9-2 against Eagle One (USA), a former top-class campaigner now eight years old and trained by O’Neil Markland to score a win by just over one length. Promising Demar Williams made use of the opportunity to become the second 2024 JRCRS graduate to win on the day.
