Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
SHAND
DESMOND SHAND didn't make it to the Top 10 list of trainers at Caymanas Park last year, but already things are looking up for him since the start of the new season.
The 43-year-old trainer has so far saddled four winners, including a double comprising DIAMOND EXPRESS and PRINCE OF LAW on Wednesday, February 1, to hold down eighth position in the 2006 standings.
Having saddled scores of winners in a career spanning two decades, Shand is accorded the utmost respect by his peers, having shown a capacity to present his charges in near unbeatable shape when the gamble is on, or is so perceived.
Despite this, he never aspired to become a trainer.
"After leaving school I came into the profession unintentionally," recalls Shand, a past student of Trench Town Comprehensive, Wolmer's and Kingsway High schools.
"My association with racing came through family connection with my cousins Frank Parham and his brother, the late Earl Adams. I used to spend a lot of time among them and with both deeply involved in racing as trainers at the time, it didn't take long for me to follow in their footsteps," he added.
In the early '80s, Shand became assistant trainer to Parham who taught him all he needed to know about horses. He eventually obtained a trainers' licence in 1983 but had a long, agonising wait for his first winner, MOST REWARDING in a 1400-metre race for maiden three-year-olds on May 14, 1986, with apprentice Donald Clarke aboard.
Owned by Frank's wife Veronica Parham, the filly won again over 1300 metres months later, enabling Shand to end the season with two winners.
Other winners followed as the years progressed, but it took a horse by the name of JACK ROLLICK to put Shand on the map in the early '90s.
Owned by Arthur Lindo, the classy bay gelding by Century Rollick out of Hidden Beauty won six races up to 'B1' class as a four-year-old in 1991, then really came into his own after that with a string of cup race victories in 'A1' company, including back-to-back wins in the grade one Prime Minister's Stakes over 2000 metres in 1992 and 1993.
Shand recalled that JACK ROLLICK won a total of 22 races for him and also had the distinction of being one of the oldest horses to win in the top class.
"He was a great servant to me and even today I marvel that a race has not been named to preserve his memory.
SATISFYING MOMENTS
"One of my most satisfying moments in racing was when he won the PM Stakes the second time on Independence Day 1993 with Karl Brown aboard and having all the horses trained by champion trainer Philip Feanny behind him, Milligram. Orient Express and The Viceroy in that order.
"If I had two more horses like Jack Rollick, I would become champion trainer every year," he jokingly remarked.
To date Shand has saddled 257 winners including JACK ROLLICK, GILNOCK, EXIT ONE, FRIENDLY EXPRESS, GLITTERING GOLD, MR. BUTLER, MONTIVERDI, SHE'S A SLAYER, BELLATRICKS, NEGOTIA-TOR, HEADS OVER HEELS, JOHN WAYNE, TIME AND AGAIN, MOMENT OF TRUTH, FAB-RIKATOR, FEARLESS PRINCESS, ROYAL EXPENDITURE, SALSA, CHAMPAGNE CREW, SUNSET CRUISE, GENTLE JUNIOR and the four horses he has posted to victory this season - FACING FAME, DIAMOND EXPRESS, PRINCE OF LAW, along with HARMONICS who won at odds of 10-1 on February 4.
Shand, who is supportive of the Claiming system which was introduced in 1993 and still thriving, enjoys training but brings to it a rather laid back approach.
"I usually set myself a winning quota of 16 to 20 races per season. If I achieve those numbers, that's cool for me because I train for a small, select band of owners," explained the father of two.
Shand, whose string of horses numbers 19 (down from 22 recently), has experienced the good, bad and the sad part of racing.
One of his darkest days was in August of 2001 when he was hit with the news that his cousin and best friend Earl Adams had died in Atlanta, Georgia, after a long illness.
"I took his death real hard," he remembers. "We did everything together and he was more like a brother than a cousin. I am happy that a race is run annually to perpetuate his memory for he was such a great guy."
Shand, who grew up in Trench Town, singles out football as his hobby and keeps in good physical shape by playing scrimmage with his friends on a regular basis.
