KINGSTON, Jamaica - As usual things got underway more than a quarter of an hour late on yet another eerily quiet early Sunday afternoon. As a spectator sport it is now obvious the local version of the Sports of Kings no longer competes for the live audiences. Telephone accounts as well as over 100 off-track betting points of sale cannot account fully for this lack of enthusiasm and this negative development needs to undergo a critical evaluation.
Featured on the nine-race programme and staged as the eight was the 30th running of the important Futurity — The Prince Consort Stakes.
Champion juvenile of 2022 Mojito (2-5), ridden by Dawkins for a riding double, proved in no uncertain terms he has trained on from two to three years. Schooled by Richard Azan for the stable’s double success on the card, the big grey progeny of Savoy Stomp, with victory here by over five lengths, looks likely to make a significant impression in the Classics and major events of his second season.
Former five-time champion reinsman Trevor Simpson won the opening event on the nine-race programme on 3-1 shot King Air leading and having his field in trouble from 800 metres out. Saddled by Colin Ferguson for his second success from 21 declarations this season, King Air benefitted from the vast experience of Simpson to get home by diminishing three parts of a length when the winning post signalled the end of the contest of 1,400 metres.
Winner of race two Daddy Jones (4-5) galloped to his fourth success from his last six starts and was ridden on three occasions including this by former three-time champion Anthony Thomas. In front from early in the 1,600-metre gallop, the big grey progeny of American Dance was always travelling best of the seven starters to give the Steven Todd stable the first of two successes on the day.
In race three, owner/trainer David Lee Sin, won his fourth of the season from nine starts with his game and consistent four-year-old filly Rambling Rose outsprinting five rivals by a conservative seven lengths over 1,000 metres round. Champion jockey Dane Dawkins only had to keep her concentrating on the gallop to confirm the starting price of 9-5 for her backers and his first of two winning mounts on the card.
Race four saw the sudden return to form of Phillip Elliott’s Quiet Boss, whose last victory was on June 22 of last year. Ridden by Reyan Lewis, the five-year-old horse was always in control of the 1,000-metre straight sprint to return odds of 5-1 and prove to be the first of two winners for this current leader of the already intriguing 2023 jockeys’ title race.
Oshane Nugent, the man who claimed top honours as the weight claiming jockey for 2020 and 2021, rode the second winner on the card for the Todd outfit with specialist Stanislaus (4-5) scoring by nearly three lengths over the 1,000-metre straight sprint of race five.
Dawkins’ celebration, when he got maiden Slam Dunk (5-1) home narrowly in race six over 1,200 metres, was premature. In a close finish, the Operation Stewards thought the champion jockey and his mount caused intimidation of and interference to close rival Eazy Peazy, the 6-5 favourite. Reyan Lewis got the benefit, as well as the Richard Azan stable picking up the first of two on the day.
The 1,820 metres of race seven was disappointing for the backers of odd-on favourite Tigray Express (4-5) who failed to stay from in front and tailed off to walk in last. On the other hand, Ryan Darby’s North London, who raced as an out and out sprinter 21 times previously, stayed on to score at odds of 9-2 for two-kilogramme claimer Matthew Bennett’s third success this season. The ninth and closing event, run over the 1,000-metre straight course, was won by Cataba (4-5) saddled by Patrick Lynch and guided by Javaniel Patterson (07).
The Training Feat Award is presented to Ryan Darby for the performance of North London who displayed the Best Winning Gallop over an unfamiliar trip with the requisite speed, stamina and courage to score by a short head. In terms of judgement of pace, Matthew Bennett was at his best and is unchallenged for the Jockeyship Award.
