KINGSTON, Jamaica — Demonstrating class and speed, the importee, The Prince’s Spur stamped his authority on the local racing scene on Sunday, September 27, executing a noticeably front-running effort to capture the feature Typewriter Trophy over 7 ½ furlongs at Caymanas Park.
Entering the Overnight Allowance contest for only his second local appearance since arriving in Jamaica, the seven-year-old bay gelding built upon his debut on September 5, when the son of Cairo Prince out of Flying Spur had signalled his quality by finishing a gallant second behind reigning Horse of the Year, Rideallday. On Sunday, he went one better, translating that raw potential into a rout.
Handled by champion jockey Raddesh Roman for trainer Rohan Crichton, The Prince’s Spur shrugged off the field's top impost of 126 lbs. Sent straight to the lead from the gates, the gelding dictated a fast pace, setting fractions of 23.2 for the opening quarter, 45.3 for the half-mile, and 1:10.3 for six furlongs.
As the field rounded the home turn, Roman gave his mount full rein before throttling down inside the final furlong. He pulled effortlessly away from the opposition to stop the clock in a final time of 1:30.1, crossing the line 14 ½ lengths clear of his nearest challenger.
Cookie Day N Night (Emelio McLean) finished second, with Purosangue (Shaheem Gordon) third.
The Prince’s Spur’s winning time of 1:30.1 carries significant weight when benchmarked against the track record for 7 ½ furlongs. The current record of 1:29.0 was established on July 4 by another standout foreign import, Phenomenal Power.
Crucially, when Phenomenal Power set that mark, he carried 117 lbs, a full 9 lbs lighter than the 126 lbs assigned to The Prince’s Spur on Sunday. Carrying top weight while finishing within 1.1 seconds of the record underlines the depth of performance delivered by Crichton's trainee.
Before his export to Jamaica, The Prince’s Spur was victorious at Gulfstream Park in Florida earlier this year (January), winning in a US$12,500 claiming contest before being transported to continue his racing career in Jamaica.
