Jamaican trio for Royal Oak Derby

Three Jamaican horses are coming for this year’s Royal Oak Derby at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, on September 24. Connections have paid a $7,600 penalty for each of the trio,  La Tonia, Seattle Sui and Uram at third subscription stage on Tuesday, for the race to be run over 2000 metres, final leg of the triple crown classic. Also paying a similar sum on Tuesday to be among the likely contenders for the final classic this season were connections of  Dealer’s Choice. The quartet were added to the star-studded list of 21 three-year-olds left in  for the race to be run on September 24, Republic Day, with their $600 payments. Third subscriptions totalled $43,000 and swelled the  kitty to $98,500 overall.

Fourth and final subscriptions become due and payable on September 6. La Tonia and Seattle Sui are among the leading fillies to have graced the Caymanas Park racecourse this season. The pair swept the top positions in the Jamaica Oaks, but failed to measure up against the colts in the Derby, in which Uram finished fourth. La Tonia and Uram are owned by Barbadian pool magnate Elias Haloute. Haloute is no stranger to Trinidad, having been a regular figure at our annual yearling sales and also has horses in training at the Douglas Bennett barn. Haloute is also no stranger to success in graded events. He won the Royal Oak Derby with Terremoto in 1998, the last time Jamaica was represented in the classic.

Terremoto, with Charlie Hussey aboard won with consumate ease and posted a new record of  2:06.3 for the event. Mr Lover Lover gave Jamaica its first hold of the Derby Trophy at our centralised facility at Arima. Barbadian jockey Simon Husbands steered the strappingly-built colt home in 1997, the first year an effort was made to rekindle the Caribbean rivalry in horseracing. Following are horses for which third subscriptions were paid: Adoring Ruby, Aticka, Bandikoot, Chief Commander, Dealer’s Choice (P), Explosive Suzie, Fast Company, French Academy, Kato, Lady Secret, La Tonia (Jam - P), Laura’s Boy, Massoud, Melanie My Love, Mucho Tempo, Murphy’s Law, Over And Above, Pave The Way, Private Affair, Seattle Sui (Jam - P), Second Chances, Silver Bullet, Takeover, Uram (Jam - P), Yashoda.