Run as the eighth and feature event was another renewal of the Poorlittlerichgirl Trophy for Open Allowance campaigners.
Philip Feanny’s progressive three-year-old grey colt Ride All Day (USA), ridden by Paul Francis, was clear for the final two furlongs and won the seven-and-a-half-furlong gallop by three lengths and a quarter. Ride All Day (USA) was taking the expected advantage of being too favourably treated by the flawed artificial weight allotment in the conditions of entry.
Saddled by Errol Burke for the opening event of nine, Alkebulan (5-1) under the guidance of claimer Demar Williams, outsprinted his seven rivals for a near five-length success over the five furlongs of the straight course.
Over the same course, Shane Ellis’ length-and-a-half victory aboard Joseph Thomas’ four-year-old maiden Ballistic Missile (6-5) was challenged by the runner-up Lucy On The Go (3-5). However, after a Steward’s Inquiry, the jockey’s objection of Oniel Mullings was deemed to have failed to meet the required standard for a reversal of the placings.
In race three, five-year-old maiden Briscoe (4-5), declared by Andre Adams and ridden by Jereau Stewart, dominated his three rivals to score by twelve lengths on the five furlongs round course. Briscoe was the first winner for the young apprentice Stewart and the first this season for trainer Adams.
For race four, well-backed Cruzinn Again (2-1) caught long-time pacemaker Storm Boy (10-1) inside the final furlong to score by four lengths for conditioner Rowan Mathie with Shane Richardson at the reins.
Owner/trainer Carlton Cunningham must have had an extreme sense of satisfaction and relief when his Proudest Vision (6-5) erased the memory of a short-head defeat nine days ago with a winning margin of a length and a half with smart claimer Shaheen Gordon in the saddle over the five and a half furlongs of race five.
Proudest Vision is only medium-sized and Cunningham’s decision to her ace again after such a short period following a hard race deserves a lot of credit.
Speaking of smart Shaheen Gordon, several 2024 graduates of the Jamaica Racing Commission Riding School, including the aforementioned Demar Williams, along with Richie Shakes, Tajay Suckoo, Tyrese Anderson, Emelio McLean and Evertte Clunis, have made promising starts to their respective careers.
In terms seating in the saddle, athletic ability, use of whips, and style (American), they meet those criteria comfortably in all respects. Therefore, the expectation is that, with the ensuing experience, tactical execution and judgement of pace will be developed.
However, with the continuing annual undersupply of foals, the resulting inevitability of small fields will be a major challenge for these jockeys to maintain a reasonable standard of living.
The same applies to the successful applicants of the last two years who received training licenses. Still, many in the cohort have other sources of income and are not, as of yet, if they ever will, be fully professional operatives.
Pip (7/2), entered by owner/trainer Ricardo Brown, was driven by Phillip Parchment for a two-length victory over the five and a half furlongs of race six.
The 2022 champion jockey, Dane Dawkins, had to deploy most of his skill set and got 3-5 bet High Diplomacy, trained by Alden Francis, to finish a length and a half in front of chief rival Expeditious (6-5) over the seven and a half furlongs of race seven.
For the ninth and closing event, restricted to non-winners of two races, a field of eleven three-year-olds reported to the starter for the exertion over the five furlongs straight course. In control of the pace from early, 6-5 favourite Global Pursuit kept on well to score by three parts of a length. Robert Halledeen rode the speedy, but lightly-raced colt, a progeny of Bold Conquest, for champion and leading trainer Jason DaCosta.
