FCB New Year’s Day at the Races a huge success

THAT First Citizens Bank decision of a $50,000  increase and the introduction of the Jockeys Championship to their overall $250,000 sponsorship of the Arima Race Club New Year’s Day racing programme proved to be a stroke of genius. Chief executive officer Larry Howai and his team must have been proud of themselves when they saw the massive holiday crowd which attended the day’s 10-race programme, the First Citizens Bank New Year’s Day at the Races on Saturday last at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. Regular turfites, relatives, friends and the just curious lapped up the great entertainment provided at the racing carnival. They all got their fill, with two of the co-feature races providing thrilling finishes, and the odd big surprise.

The jockeys championship with US$10,000 at stake saw several Trinidadian jockeys who ride abroad, return home including ex-champion Emile Ramsammy, pitting his skills against two-man teams from Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, Panama, represented by a former TT champ Nobel Abrego and Rojidan Ramirez and current local champ Brian Harding. Turfites were not disappointed, as they saw Ramsammy at his riding best in driving Phantom Menace to a short head victory over last year’s Royal Oak Derby winner Mucho Tempo in the First Citizens Bank Caribbean Turf Championship over 1800 metres, run on the main dirt track.

That ride was worth going places to see, and not to be outdone, Haniff Emamalie stole the feature First Citizens Bank Sian’s Gold Handicap over 1100 metres with his clever ride astride Twice Infallible, making most of the running and still managing to get the maximum from his mount to hold off stablemate Invincibility by three-quarter length. Although the day’s opener, the First Citizens Bank First Classic proved to be a stroll in the park for two-year-old champ Arts And Lovers and Harding (B), the local top rider must be given every credit for his brilliant ride in landing Entertainer winner of the day’s finale by a neck, depriving teenage apprentice Neela Mohamnmed his first victory ride.

And the big crowd stood in awe when Raymond Ganpath, now riding out of New York, landed Lady Secret winner of the E-First race over 1200 metres, rewarding backers with $40 and $6.70 on the tote. FCB must be commended for including grooms in their prize package, as these almost forgotten men walked proudly to receive their Best Dressed Groom prizes. But still, I am plumping for these grooms to be awarded prizes like is done in the “big races,” when owners get prize money from first to sixth.  I believe the grooms should be also included in this framework and not just Best Dressed. The day after all was well worth its $250,000 prize tag.  It was money well spent by FCB on not only the enrichment of local horseracing, but to the entertainment of turfites.