By Cliff Williams, Contributor
From left, Ramgeet, Harding, Simpson and Henry
WITH the return of former three-time champion Andrew Ramgeet to local race riding and the likelihood that current champion Trevor Simpson will be here long enough to defend his crown as well as Wesley Henry, another past champion, committing himself to be fully engaged throughout the year there could be an exciting contest for top honours in the major races.
Clearly there is always going to be a potential for the championship to become a farcical one-man race before the season is halfway through as has been the case more often than not. From a promotional point of view it is obviously best for championship categories to be highly competitive affairs as it has a tremendously positive effect on sales turnover, but again this year this ideal scenario may not materialise.
The three gentlemen named in the opening paragraph will in all probability dominate affairs but may not necessary have it all their own way as Winston Griffiths, Brian Harding, Ameth Robles, Clive Lynch, Charlie Hussey, himself a former champion, and a few of the new batch of apprentices there is likely to be the most competitive battle for the major portion of the spoils seen for many a year in the feature races and futurities.
Obviously Simpson will be the odds-on favourite to defend his crown successfully as he has first call on most of the starters from the stables of champion Wayne DaCosta and perennially in-form conditioner Richard Todd. The result of this is that it is almost a certainty, barring unforeseen circumstances, that these two outstanding professionals will together be responsible for in excess of a 150 winners with Simpson likely to be on about half of those if not more.
The champion jockey's voracious appetite for success as well as his tactical acumen and immense physical prowess has made him an automatic choice for a huge number of owners of decent horses. It is therefore difficult to envisage, at this point, that any of the other riders will get the kind of allround support to mount a realistic challenge to Simpson's expected dominance and the prospect of another championship.
In nearly four decades of association with the Sport of Kings I have seen most of the champions over what can be considered different Caymanas racing. In fact there are fifteen of them namely: Arthur Jones, Neville Cousley, Winston Ellis, Trevor McKenzie, Richard Depass, George Hosang, Charles Hussey, Winston Griffiths, Emelio Rodriquez, Andrew Ramgeet, Joe Buchanan, Percy Williams, Wesley Henry, Shane Ellis and Trevor Simpson.
There can be no question that all these riders earned the respect of their peers and the supporters of the local racing game, but there are four riders on the this list that have no equal in terms of public appreciation and acclaim.
George Hosang is arguably the best rider ever to be born on Jamaican soil but in terms of public reception, his acceptance did not get anywhere close to what Emelio Rodriquez, Winston Griffiths, Andrew Ramgeet and now Trevor Simpson commands. Interestingly Wesley Henry seemed close at one point to developing the same kind of chemistry with the race goers but never quite did, whilst Charles Hussey gets huge respect but without any emotional content.
Public acclaim for the four riders have reached fanatical proportions and what has been developed is basically akin to a cult following with hard analysis and rational thinking being sacrificed in every debate over who is the best of the lot. The other champions I have named here, at best, only got a grudging kind of respect from the betting public but Rodriquez, Griffiths, Ramgeet and Simpson struck an emotional chord in the hearts and minds of race goers.
Already some of the new batch of apprentice riders are beginning to make their mark but I suspect it will be long time before anyone with the ability of Hosang, Rodriquez, Griffiths, Ramgeet, Hussey and Simpson emerges. Speaking of the latest licensees there are a few who are already being ignored by the trainers and owners and it will be interesting see how many of the recent 22 graduates will establish viable careers.
