In 1967, there was the concept of devising a major race, which was neither an outright sprint nor a middle- distance journey but, given the opportunity, a winner could emerge from either category therefore, the seven-furlong course was thought ideal.
The Gold Cup was inaugurated with major sponsor the Cigarette Company of Jamaica marketing the event around their Benson & Hedges brand with the expenditure beyond that of any of previous partnership with private sector entities.
Amazingly, but not necessarily surprisingly, an English-bred horse, Kilowatt, trained by Valbert Marlowe, whose son Michael is now a practising trainer, won the inaugural staging in 1967.
The Firestreak (GB), a top-rated sprint stallion, progeny repeated the feat a year later, was a late non-starter in 1968, but returned to the winners’ enclosure in 1970.
Philip Feanny, a 14-time champion conditioner having won the Gold Cup on ten occasions had his name added to the title eventually.
This staging of the Philip Feanny OD Gold Cup attracted a field of ten. Being a qualifier for an automatic invitation to the prestigious Mouttet Mile, the event generated interesting talking points as soon as the weights were published.
Feanny declared three starters, including US-bred Rideallday (07starts/06wins) and Supernatural Power (07starts/05wins). The former was set to tote 112lbs, the latter 110 and therefore confidently predicted by the pundits to be competitive enough to make the frame.
Bet at 15-1, Pack Plays (USA) set a fairly sensible half-mile pace (23.2 x 46.2) with Legacy Isle (USA), Desert Of Malibu (USA) and Rideallday (USA) wide in pursuit.
Well, ridden by champion and 2025 designate, Raddesh Roman, Legacy Isle (USA) wore down Pack Plays (USA) to lead entering the last 250 yards.
The Rohan Crichton trained horse, had the momentum to turn back the renewed challenge of third-placed Pack Plays (USA) as well as to deny wide-running Rideallday (USA) by a half a length. Supernatural Power (USA), although registering the worst reaction time to the opening of the starting gates was just over one length fourth.
It was 6/1 against Gelroy, declared by Cashbert Khwalsingh for the opening event, a six-furlong contest four-year-olds and upwards with less than two wins. Promising claimer Jaheim Anderson kept the hard knocking gelding close and on the bridle before overtaking the two leaders and go on to score by nearly five lengths.
Forty minutes later 2023 champion Reyan Lewis guided 7-5 bet Lion of Ekati (USA), trained by Norman Smith, to a winning distance of over 11 lengths at the end of the seven-and-a-half-length distance of race two.
Then half an hour later, Crown Chaser (3-5) the 2024 Jamaica Derby winner, from the stable of Anthony Nunes won the third, run at seven and a half furlongs by just over seven lengths with 2022 champion Dane Dawkins in the saddle for the first of three wins on the card.
For Dawkins’ second winner, favourite at 2-5, Sudden Flight, entered by Saqlain Roman, was six lengths and a quarter the best in race four, contested over five furlongs straight.
Race five, over a similar distance, was secured by 6-5 favourite Talona (USA), trained by owner Oral Hayden and was ridden by 2011 champion Dick Cardenas scored by just under two lengths.
Prince Roy (3-5), ridden by 5lbs claimer Anthony Allen for champion and season leading trainer Jason DaCosta, arrived close to end of the seven-furlong gallop of race six to win by three-parts of a length.
In closing his three-timer in race seven, Dawkins had very little persuasion to execute with Byron Davis’s 3-1 shot, Mark My Identity winning the seven eighths of a mile exertion by five lengths for his mounts to register combined winning distances totalling 18¾.
Veteran trainer Barrington Dawes got a successful run from 3-5 favourite Big LA (Romario Spencer) in that racing for only the second occasion, the three-year colt did nothing wrong in a half-a-length defeat of 7-1 bet Modern Monarch in the day’s eight of nine events. A three-year-old chestnut colt, Big LA in making a belated start has scope and could improve with racing.
