Cliff Williams
IN LAST week's column I looked at the debilitating Classic schedule in the United States with the Triple Crown series, Kentucky Derby (2000 metres), Preakness (1900 metres) and Belmont Stakes (2400 metres), completed in six weeks.
The main point I made is that there have been too many instances where America's most talented three-year-olds fail to show further improvement after the ordeal of pursuing the strength-sapping Triple Crown glory. Incidentally, for different reasons related to durability, the 2006 Belmont Stakes will field neither the Kentucky nor Preakness winners.
Analytically, I also touched on the change made to the local schedule early in the last decade to cram the Classics into a two-month period to mimic the American format. The rationale advanced at the time was that it gives the three-year-olds an opportunity to contest the Classics and then time to recover to have a chance in the major races in the second half of the calendar.
I suppose that with an equine population lacking in quantity at the top level it was a reasonable position. However, the preservation of the development of the three-year-old talent pool is of paramount importance and that ought to have been the overriding consideration.
In contesting the local triple crown series a relatively young three-year-old has to compete over 6400 metres in less than two months. Surely this cannot be in the best interest of our most promising in the first half of their second season.
Going forward, racing calendars worldwide cannot slavishly follow what has happened in the past, but has to operate in a more dynamic way. The programming has to take into account the idiosyncrasies of the equine population available for racing in each jurisdiction.
Each year for example, the first three months of our racing year is virtually bereft of races for top class horses and this has led to complaints from certain of the trainers.
By intelligent changing of some dates of the important races, especially the Futurities, the balance of development and enough rest between events for two and three-year-olds could be achieved. For example, the Jamaica Stakes for two-year-olds could be run in late November and the Guineas in March and all other Futurities dates be adjusted appropriately to allow for the aforementioned rest and development.
GENUINE HANDICAP RACES
With reference to the older horses a series of strategically dated genuine handicap races, possibly sponsored to enhance purses, should be available for the horses eligible for the curiously named Overnight Allowances and those trapped between this and the high claiming category. The fact of the matter is that there has been no significant change to the programming of the racing calendar for too long.
Congratulations to trainer, Eraldo Fullerton, for presenting Ransom Man in invincible condition to win the 2006 Jamaica Derby in fine style for his owner.
Triumph for a smaller stable in this event has not been that unusual over the last three decades when one subtracts Philip Feanny's phenomenal nine successes. The list where smaller stables have yielded winners of the Premier Classic includes Sydney Watson (Tudor Wit 1975), Aubrey Pinnock (Black Knight 1980), Enos Brown (Monday Morning 1987), G. A. 'Bunny' Bucknor (Poorlittlerichgirl 1991), Adin Williams (Mr. Lover Lover 1997) and Patrick Chang (Awesome Power 2001).
