THIS YEAR the story line for the jockeys’ championship is similar to last year’s with no clear-cut winner going into tomorrow’s Diamonds International/Crown Of Light Boxing Day card on the final day of the Barbados Turf Club’s third season at the Garrison Savannah.
Unlike all good stories where only the characters change, this one has an unusual twist. On the identical day in 2012, Antonio Whitehall led the table with 29 wins and 21 thirds while Reshawn Latchman had 28 wins, 20 thirds and both were tied on 24 seconds each.
The stage was set for an intriguing battle that became very tense as it went down to the penultimate race. Two wins for Latchman and a second-place finish sealed his first championship title.
With defending champion jockey Latchman surrendering his title due to a fall, the new contenders were Rickey Walcott (26 wins), Anderson Trotman (25) and Damario Bynoe (24).
The unusual twist this time is that the chances of both Walcott and Bynoe have been curtailed by injuries and only a win separates Trotman from a seventh riding title.
Trotman has a superior second-place finish rate when compared to that of longtime leader Walcott.
Walcott’s championship fate had been left in the hands of his rivals, who only needed to overtake the six-win lead he enjoyed going into this final season.
Consistent Bynoe
The consistency of the rejuvenated Bynoe allowed him to win the apprentice title in seasons one and two, while he was also chosen for Barbados’ select team of four riders to compete against a visiting British and Irish team.
But a spill last race day in the fourth race signalled the end of his championship hopes as he joined Walcott on the sidelines.
This effectively leaves the 20-year veteran Trotman with the easy task of winning a solitary race. But if he fails to get into the winner’s enclosure for his third straight race day, Walcott will lift his first riding championship in Barbados, having won several in Canada.
From the rides Trotman has booked, he should lift the championship with Golden Moment in the Diamonds International/ Wonder Sud Handicap over 1 100 metres.
He should also win on Marcus Antonius in the Boxing Day Juvenile Open Condition Race or on Kariba Rose in the Diamond International/Vera D’ Amore Condition Race. Both races are over 1 570 metres.