KINGSTON, Jamaica - Congratulations to the newly crowned champions in the important professional categories in the industry.
Special commendation is due to Anthony Nunes, who emulated the 1973 feat of his father, Nigel by winning his first championship. This first trainers’ title for Anthony might well be the beginning of what looks likely to be many future championships as an excellent conditioner of horses.
In his first full year of riding Christopher Mamdeen won the title with his competitive jockeyship style and determination to succeed, ending with an impressive tally of 96 winners.
It will be interesting to see how the owners and trainers treat with him in 2020 when he no longer claims weight and with a few more promising riders in the latest batch of graduates from the Jamaica Racing Commission Jockey’s School ready to pounce.
Michael (Michros) Bernard and Carlton Watson interchanged leadership of the owners’ title race, which was decided when the former’s extraordinary juvenile Wow Wow predictably won the rich Supreme Ventures Limited-sponsored Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes.
Three horses, including Wow Wow with eight wins, made the headlines consistently with Triple Crown hero Supreme Soul and all-time great mare She’s A Maneater proving she is better than ever at five years old sharing the spotlight.
The final meeting of the 2019 racing year in Jamaica commenced appropriately with Christopher Mamdeen inducing an impressive burst of finishing speed from Patrick Lynch’s Smarty Tradition to score in the Restricted Allowance IV opening event.
Conditioner Byron Davis had his fifth trip to the winners’ enclosure when his Twilight Eruption (Roger Hewitt) prevailed by a neck in the second event.
Dane Dawkins, who tried his luck overseas early in the year but returned quickly, rode the first of three winners when Blu Attitude scored in the third for trainer Ray Phillips. Dawkins was aboard the 13-length runaway Mahogany in the fourth and Coco Chanel in the nightcap, both posted by trainer Ian Parsard.
Consistent closer Blood Song (Shane Ellis) outstayed rivals convincingly in the fifth for trainer Patrick Fong while Joseph Thomas saddled his 16th winner when Paul Francis got his Nuclear Emma to fend off many challenges to land the sixth.
Dane Nelson did not report for duties and this provided outgoing champion, Anthony Thomas, with an opportunity to demonstrate he is the genuine article when he produced an outstanding front-running tactical execution for O’Neil Markland’s Storm to win the seventh.
It was vintage Trevor Simpson in the eighth aboard Owen Sharpe’s well-conditioned six-year-gelding Dunrobin.
The former five-time champion reinsman sent his mount in pursuit of odds-on favourite American Invader and wrested the lead in the upper stretch, but had to use his vast skill and experience to stay three parts-of-a length ahead of a strong late challenge from Anaso ridden by Robert Halledeen.
