KINGSTON, Jamaica - Robert Halledeen is recognized as a skilled rider in the Jamaican racing landscape. Despite his successes, including multiple wins in Classic races and a win in the Mouttet Mile, he has yet to serious contend for the champion jockey title.
As of February 8, 2025, after nine race days, Halledeen leads the championship standings with 13 wins. His recent performance includes a treble on February 8 and an additional win the next day, signalling his intent to pursue the championship.
Halledeen primarily rides horses trained by Jason DaCosta and currently has a four-win advantage over Shane Ellis, while defending champion Raddesh Roman is in third place with eight wins.
Halledeen has increased his number of rides this season; he had 40 rides up to February 8 compared to Ellis's 24 and Roman's 29. This increase suggests that Halledeen is serious about winning the championship.
To secure the championship, Halledeen will need to expand his riding opportunities by securing mounts from various trainers while maintaining his strong connection with DaCosta.
His victories on February 8 included rides on three DaCosta-trained horses: American Aviator, Lucy In The Sky, and Mamma Mia. On February 9, he secured a win with Gelroy, trained by Rudolph Hardial.
In the race with American Aviator, Halledeen took the lead early going 5 ½ furlongs and won by 2 ½ lengths despite the horse showing signs of fatigue in the final stretch.
Lucy In The Sky finally secured a win after struggling in non-winners of two, largely due to Halledeen's strategic riding.
In the Billy Williams Memorial Trophy, he guided Mamma Mia to victory despite competition from Neo Star in the final furlong.
While it is early in the 2025 jockeys’ championship, Halledeen is showing promising signs of strong performance. Only time will reveal the outcome.
