By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
Trainer Philip Feanny (left) and jockey Winston Griffiths discuss tactics in the parade ring before last Saturday's G.A. 'Sarge' Bucknor 1000m straight feature at Caymanas Park. Griffiths won the event aboard the Feanny-trained RAKKADASH in a track record equalling 56.3 seconds. - Michael Sloley /Freelance Photographer
FOR THE first time in its short history, the $1.5 million WITRA Classic will be staged without the assistance of a sponsor.
The race, which marks its third running, is the feature event at Caymanas Park on Saturday, the first leg of the two-day Heroes Carnival which concludes on Heroes Day, Monday, October 21.
It is confined to native bred three-year-olds from Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean, but no overseas entries have been received for this valuable graded stakes over 2000 metres.
The WITRA Classic is seen as the final prep for three-year-olds before they take on older horses in the November 9 Red Stripe Superstakes over the same distance.
The United Bookmakers Association comprising Track Price Plus, Champion and Markham, withdrew sponsorship on the grounds that the race was being run too close to the general election.
This claims Track Price Plus CEO, Xavier Chin "would severely limit the capacity of the promotion to get full mileage from a race of this magnitude".
Continuing, Chin said:
"Despite our concern that it was too close to the election date, we in the United Bookmakers were more than willing to sponsor the race at a later date. We actually sought a postponement to a date after the Superstakes in late November, but this was turned down by the promoters.
"I should point out that last year we have had problems with this particular race relating to protest action (withholding of nominations) by members of the Trainers' Association just at the time the race was scheduled.
"Last year it took the eleventh hour intervention of Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies late on the Friday to break the deadlock between the Trainers and the Jamaica Racing Commission over drug testing procedures in order to save the WITRA and Heroes Day meets.
"As a result we didn't get the necessary mileage for the level of sponsorship", he recalls.
Eight three-year-olds have been nominated, including Triple Crown winner SIMPLY MAGIC, Track Price 2000 Guineas winner FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE, Lotto Classic winner SIR DONALD, along with BLACK THATCH, MEDIC ON BOARD, REJECT, ROYAL RUN and TOCUMEN.
