Ramsammy may come for Christmas

TURFITES could well see ex-champion jockey Emile Ramsammy in the saddle live, during the Christmas racing season. But it all depends on final arrangements now in the works.

A top local owner and officials of  the Arima Race Club are making feverish attempts to get the ex-champ back home for short stints on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The owner, who prefers to remain anonymous is seeking Ramsammy’s  services to partner his two-year-old colt in the St James Stakes on Boxing Day, while the Arima Race Club is still negotiating with the Canadian-based rider and other top jockeys in Canada to come compete in a Jockeys Championship on New Year’s Day. But neither has confirmed bookings from the top Trinidadian who has made it big on Canadian racing circuits, where he now resides. Ramsammy has been riding on a number of North American tracks and has been very successdful, winning the Jockeys Championship at Woodbine, Canada, on two occasions. Both the owner and the ARC said negotiations are still in progress and hope to be able to give more information tomorrow.

The effort for Ramsammy’s services on Boxing Day is being made by trainer Grant Lourenco, who is acting on behalf of his biggest patron. Trainer John O’Brien, on the other hand, confirmed yesterday that the ARC is trying to persuade Ramsammy and a team of  top riders from Canada and Barbados, to make the journey for their Jockeys Championship planned for the first day of  the 2004 racing season. O’Brien, vice-president of the ARC said some top riders will be riding in Barbados on January 3, and it is hoped they can be lured to fly them across to compete here first. Other teams drawn into the competition are Panama, Venezuela, and an All Star formation. The star-studded formation will include Patrick Husbands, runner-up at Woodbine at the recently concluded season and Ramsammy, who was third behind champion Todd Kabel. Ramsammy despite being sidelined by injury from racing accidents three times this year still rode 123 winners. Ramsammy is also a two-time winner of Canada’s Soverign Award, copping in 1996 and 1997.