FCB shell out $250,000 for New Year’s Day card

TRINTRAC Stewards Cup runner-up Miss Lover Lover will race from a middle position in the Sian’s Gold Sprint, the feature event on the Arima Race Club (ARC) New Year’s Day programme at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. The Edmund De Freitas-trained five-year-old who showed a likeness for grass, when capturing the Sagicor Independence Cup Trophy, drew to race out of gate five in the 1000 metres Turf dash for top bracketed horses. The post position was selected for the daughter of Friendly Lover/Winning Spurs by trainer Edmund de Freitas at the draw for post positions held yesterday at Level Two of the Grand Stand of the Santa Rosa Park circuit. First Citizen Bank chairman Larry Howai, whose FCB are sponsors of the 10-race card said his financial institution is totally committed to the development of horseracing.

“We got involved in the sport because we recognise the wealth of excellence and talent in the industry, and it gives us great pleasure to be associated with it,” Howai said. “By dint of hard work by the ARC, racing has seen substantial growth in recent years and has been a bumper year for many owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms and horses,” he said. “It is therefore a privilege to announce the total sponsorship package has been increased this year from $200,000 to $250,000 to allow for the much-talked about Jockeys’ Championship competition,” Howai said. This type of continued support, he said, would provide horseracing with a secure financial framework that will enable the ARC to bring to fruition, the major capital development goals that they foresee in the near future. The championship, which got started at the beginning of the 2004 racing season when FCB first hosted the day, proved a major success and now carries a “prestigious” marking on the horseracing calendar.

Emile looks to repeat for Foreign TT

THE LAST Jockeys’ Championship was won by Emile Ramsammy and Patrick Husbands, representing Team Canada. Robin Jaisingh, Racing Secretary of the ARC spoke about the championship yesterday, which will prove to be a test of skill and said it again has a worth of US $10,000. He said it has a formation of six teams, each with two riders. The teams will comprise international riders Emile Ramsammy and Raymond Ganpath (Foreign TT). Woodbine-based riders Richard Dos Ramos and Tyrone Harding will comprise team Canada; Panama will have Nobel Abrego and Rojidan Ramirez; Barbados will be represented by Keveh Nicholls and Desmond Bryan; Jamaica have sent rising stars Paul Francis, who booted home six winners at Caymanas Park on Boxing Day and Oneil Mullings; and the local outfit will be champion Brian Harding and runner-up Ricardo Jadoo.

Each of the races will comprise 12 runners, and the winner will be determined by a points system —   12 for a win, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, two for fifth and one for sixth —  with a scratched runner being allotted two points. ARC president Gerard Ferreira said Santa Rosa Park love challanges, and wish everyone who attended races on Boxing Day could return on New Year’s Day with their family and friends. He said the three-Turf feature on the programme, the First Citizens Classic, the First Citizens Bank Sian’s Gold Sprint and the First Citizens Caribbean Turf Championship, creates challenges to horses, trainers and breeders.

“Its is a test for trainers to show they can get their charges right to race on the grass, and for the breeders to prove they can supply runners that can run on both the sand and turf surface.” He said the FCB-sponsored day last year was excellent and hoped that Saturday’s card would be better, as it will provide us with a flying start to the 2005 racing season and help us to continue our thrust forward. Draws were also made for runners in the 1100 metres First Citizens Bank First Classic and the First Citizens Bank caribbean Turf Championship over 1800 metres. It was followed by draws for runners and riders of the three races forming the Jockeys’ Championship.