KINGSTON, Jamaica - Champion trainer Anthony Nunes started his quest for a second championship title with two winners on the 10-race programme at Caymanas Park on Saturday, January 4, 2020. This double came after missing out on New Year’s Day.
Nunes, after finishing second 11 times in the championship, finally made the decisive step and in reflecting on his right to be called champion trainer, without hesitation, dedicated his much wanted success to his mother, Hillis Nunes.
“My mother is now 90 years old and has been in racing for such a long time, I can’t even remember. She was a pillar of strength to my father Nigel during his time as a trainer, and she has also been there for me — encouraging always and forever advising never to give up.
“We just needed to do it [win the championship] while she was aware, while she knows what is going on, when all her faculties are still active. We needed to do it and thankfully, we did.
“Those in racing will remember my mother as an owner of especially the talented and record-setting filly Hot Line.
“I am dedicating this my first trainers’ championship to my mother, and it gives me great happiness that at her age she can understand and hug me when she found out,” an emotional Nunes shared.
Nunes ended the 2019 racing season with earnings of $86,095,840 from his 86 winners, 78 second place finishes and 84 third-place efforts with Wayne DaCosta earning $78,028,275.
Nunes benefited mainly from his three-year-olds throughout the season with Triple Crown winner Supreme Soul leading the way. On the three-year-old list, there were also significant contributions from Toona Ciliata, Earn Your Stripes, Princess Ava, Prince Charles and Universal Boss.
Among the older horses, there were Houdini’s Magic, Bruce Wayne, Dontae and others who all chipped in to aid the Nunes cause.
While Nunes dedicated his first championship to his mother, he quickly mentioned his family, owners and stable staff.
“While I dedicate this championship to my mother, I must my family, my wife Tara and two daughters, Kelly and Brooke.
“Day after day, night after night, they have been with me and for that, I am eternally grateful.
“It is difficult when you live with a trainer as it is a 24/7, 365 days of the year commitment. My family does not see me when I leave in the mornings and in the evenings when they come home, a lot of the times, I am already sleeping, so a racehorse trainer is always difficult to live with most of the time,” Nunes said with a smile on his face.
As for the owners and stable workers, Nunes indicated that they were ever supportive.
“There are my owners who gave me such strong and consistent support…it was unbelievable.
“I have a fantastic group of clients and owners who have invested heavily in my barn, including obviously Elias Haloute, Stephan Narinesingh and Adam Bjorn. Those are the guys who put their money where their mouths are and they have supported me every year. There are others, of course, who made this championship win possible, they answered the call, the call that I made and I give my thanks and appreciation.
“The staff at my stables inclusive of the grooms, the attendants and others, all played their part in my success, so I say thanks to them as well,” Nunes said.
On Saturday, Nunes opened his 2020 account with a double strike; first with Patriarch in race two, then with the 11/1 shot Rohan Kabir in the seventh.
Nunes swept the board in the seventh as his other two horses Big Bang and Universal Boss finished second and third place respectively to push the champion trainer into the lead in 2020.
Trainer Nunes expressed the view that it is always good to be among the winners as it is probably the best satisfaction that trainers can receive from their combination of the dint of hard work and the continued solving of problems faced.
As to retaining his championship belt, Nunes had no illusions about that prospect.
“Well! You know it is going to be difficult. Wayne DaCosta, as is expected, will have a strong hand as he does every year. Then there is Gary Subratie, whose barn is growing exponentially.
“You also have Ian Parsard, who has a good programme going as he has nicely bred horses. This, without doubt, is good for racing in the years to come as it should not only be about Wayne DaCosta and Anthony Nunes but also Subratie, Parsard, young Steven Todd and Philip Feanny who will always have a big horse here and there, so, the present trend is good for racing,” Nunes surmised.
As to the future of horse racing in Jamaica, Nunes offered: “Yes, the future looks promising as the promoter keeps on the path of moving the game forward by getting things right to attract new and greater participation in horse racing.”
