The absence of champion jockey Raddesh Roman from the saddle on Saturday, August 9, 2025, has stirred widespread speculation across the racing community and social media platforms.
Roman, who fell from two of his mounts—Papi Uso in Race 7 and Valley of Love in Race 8—on Wednesday, August 6, did not complete his remaining riding engagements that day, including his appearance in the Jamaica Derby.
In response, Chairman of the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), Clovis Metcalfe, issued a voice note that has since circulated widely.
In it, Metcalfe directly addressed Roman’s absence.
Quoting Rule 138, Section 3 of the JRC’s Rules, Metcalfe stated:
“Any jockey or an apprentice who due to illness or injury is unable to ride on a race day will not be permitted to ride on a subsequent race day until he shall have presented to the registry office a certificate from a registered medical practitioner that he is fit to ride.”
Metcalfe then said that Roman had failed to meet this requirement at scratch time on Thursday, August 7, ahead of the Saturday (August 9) meet.
“When asked to present a medical clearance at scratch time on Thursday (August 7), jockey Raddesh Roman was unable to provide same. We must all learn from history and err on the side of caution,” Metcalfe emphasized.
Metcalfe then invoked the case of jockey Romario Smith, who suffered devastating consequences in 2020.
“In 2020, jockey Romario Smith was allowed to ride under similar conditions after an earlier fall and it seemed that he had a concussion which was not properly diagnosed. At the end of the race, he suffered a stroke and he has been wheelchair bound ever since. We continued to assist Smith and hope for his full recovery,” Metcalfe offered.
One Response
Smith isnot wheel bound he is walking now