Cliff Williams

Outside of Miracle Man remaining undefeated in 10 starts and capping an extraordinary third season with a brilliant run to lift the US$100,000 Confraternity Classic in Puerto Rico, everything else in the 2006 racing year in Jamaica was largely forgettable.

The talent pool in the equine population remained lacking in depth and the winners of the Classics - confined to colts and geldings - did not show the kind of improvement to be effectively competitive in the top class.

Relatively large fields for two and three-year-old maidens was an integral part of the programming, while the older horses in claiming company, in too many instances, had an unimpressive average number of starters per race.

Failed duty regime

The now three-year favourable duty regime for the importation of horses has once again failed to make a real impact on the talent pool. It did absolutely nothing to improve the quality of the racing product as nothing of above average emerged out of the ranks of the imported horses. In fact, with few exceptions, the overwhelming majority were extremely moderate.

On the brighter side, as far as the local bloodstock is concerned, the good-sized fields in the juvenile events were a really encouraging occurrence as it would seem there is a reasonably high percentage of foals making it to the races. This even against a background of the breeding sheds delivering about an average of 170 to 190 lots at the annual sale over the last five years coming down from in excess of 300 in the three previous decades.

As a spectacle, there was no discernible lack of enthusiasm on the part of the sporting public in responding to the more attractive race cards, meaning that in 2006, the local version of the Sport of Kings remains the preferred choice of entertainment for a significant number of persons in our population.

Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), the company operating as the sole promoter of live racing, did as good a job as was possible in current circumstances to ensure that it was business as usual throughout 2006.

In fact, saying that a good job was done is probably understating it given what it had to work with. In a scenario where, as stated at the outset - the equine population available for racing is inadequate both in terms of quality and quantity, as well as less sponsorship and the continued intense competition from lotteries as well as pirating of its intellectual property - the board of directors, management and staff really performed creditably.

On the regulation side, the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) continued to perform its mandate of protecting the integrity of the racing product.

The regulators, erroneously, in my view and that of many others, removed the tongue-tie from the list of declarable equipment. This, even in the face of incontrovertible evidence that it can have a positive or negative impact on a horse's performance depending on usage.

Other than that, the monitoring of racing for doping and riding infringements continued to have the strictest application.

As things stand, the industry is desperately in need of investment to modernise the 1959 infrastructure or establish new facilities but at the end of 2006 no one is exactly sure which is more likely to happen.

The year has ended and the negotiations with the entity identified as the preferred bidder in the divestment process is shrouded in secrecy. The Government kept reiterating that there is a commitment to divestment throughout 2006 but the year has elapsed and the uncertainty prevails.

Congrats

From this column, it's congratulations to the champions of the sectional categories for having a successful season in such a competitive scenario.

Wayne DaCosta and Brian Harding defended admirably their 2005 titles as top trainer and jockey, respectively, in these two most visible sections. Hamark Farms and HAM Stables led the owners and breeders table respectively, but the principal shareholder, Howard Hamilton, disposed of nearly all the racers in a dispersal sale late this year.

Royal Minister, despite further successes of Law of the Sea, was champion stallion once again and leading money spinner Miracle Man bettered runner-up Allied Force by in excess of $2.3 million.

It is quite easy to name this column's racing personality of the year this time around as the industry now owes a debt of gratitude to Joseph 'Fudgie' Duany, owner of Miracle Man.

His faith and confidence in the ability of this wonderful thoroughbred has ensured that a new chapter has been written in Jamaica's racing history with the victory in Puerto Rico.

From this columnist, here is a wish for a happy and prosperous 2007 for all lovers of the sport of thoroughbred racing.