For more than a decade the Boxing Day race card at the Garrison Savannah has been a much anticipated fixture on the Barbados Turf Club’s racing calendar.
On that day racing enthusiasts and their families turn the Savannah into a picnic spot with all the holiday delicacies associated with the Yuletide season.
This year, an air of expectancy surrounds the clash of the top-rated horses at the middle distance of 1 570 metres. This traditional Boxing Day trophy race over the years carried titles such as Federal Bookmakers Stakes, Heineken Stakes and Victor Chandler Stakes.
A record low field of six horses has taken entry in this prestigious race now called the Diamonds International/Crown Of Light Boxing Day Stakes and Trophy.
But the best and fastest horse in Barbados, the H&M-owned and Boston John-trained Shared Adventure, is among the entries.
This classy son of Wild Cat Heir out of Starship Elaine has a phenomenal record that speaks for itself. In 18 starts, he has won 12, with four seconds, one third and one fourth.
In 2011 he recorded a solitary win, second and third from his three starts, while 2012 yielded six wins, two seconds and a fourth from nine starts and this year there were five wins and a second from six starts.
It appears 1 100 metres is his pet distance as he has carved out nine wins, with the remaining three victories coming over 1 570 metres. He has also won with weights from as low as 110 pounds to 133.
His major triumphs were in the T.A. “Tommy” Peirce Memorial Trophy, the British Airways Handicap when he ran an impressive 1:33.4, and the 2012 Ocala Breeders’ Sale Company Trophy, shouldering 126 pounds. The former races were both at 1 570 metres under 130 pounds.
Shared Adventure also landed the 2013 Sandy Lane Spa Sprint Stakes carrying 130 pounds in a blistering 1:03.4 minutes over 1 100 metres.
His record also shows three handicaps wins: the Saint Valentine, the Coo Bird and the Final Handicap.
Other sprint successes include the BTC Sprint, Heineken Sprint Trophy, Condominium at Palm Beach, the Jim Davies Condition Race and the BTBA Open two-year old Trophy and Condition Race.
Shared Adventure lost to Aristodemus at level weights and while conceding 15 pounds, he went under twice to Indian Officer, once to A.P. Vincero, and once to Purr Class when despite handing his opponent 30 pounds (110 to 140) he lost by only a short head.