In our local horse racing world, given the small horse population and not many race days, it is usual at this time of the year to start predicting the various category winners of the annual Jetsam Awards. As at November 4, the Open Jockey Championship is up for grabs and should make the remaining race days most interesting. Brian Boodramsingh leads the table with 29 wins, followed by apprentice Kiran Razack (25); veterans Ricky Jadoo and Nobel Abrego (23 each) and perennial champion Brian Harding (20). The next in line is Richard Perez (15) followed by Ron Ali (13); Nicholas Patrick (12), and former champion Nela Mohammed (11), who has recovered nicely from injury and has set himself a goal of 20 winners for 2011 riding both locally and on occasion in Guyana.
Razack will obviously be champion apprentice and all credit to him for working hard to improve his work habits. Will he catch Boodramsingh for the Open title?Trainer John O'Brien has saddled 49 winners, many more than his nearest competitors Derrick Mosca (30) and Glenn Mendez (22) so to a great extent will influence the eventual champion jockey as Boodramsingh, Abrego and Harding all ride for his stable when the foreigners are not available.Festival Day on December 3 may well be a critical day for local riders competing for the champion's title as several top foreign jockeys are expected to ride the better horses to likely victories.
The upcoming Yearling Sale
It is encouraging to hear ongoing "talk" that the Yearling Sale on November 20 is expected to be a success and that about 50 persons attended the Open House at Poon Tip Stud farm on October 16, showing much interest.As with everything in life, a positive mindset is necessary for any goal to be achieved and I plead with present and would-be owners, to invest in local yearlings to keep our breeding industry going. Two exciting factors in this year's sale are (a) the number of stallions (21) represented including well-bred newcomers Moygaddy, Maraahel, Gold Market and Charasmatic Cat with 36 yearlings between them, which creates all sorts of new equations regarding the possible genetic combinations (speed, stamina, soundness, conformation, size) with their respective mares.
Proven stallions Big Country, Babel, Western Envoy and Precise Sweep account for another 38 yearlings so with such a lottery to select from, the bidding should be fast and furious (b) Of the 111 yearlings listed, for the first time in my memory there is a big difference in the number of fillies (66) and colts (45), which means in theory that if you buy a colt, you will have less competition to deal with and if you purchase a filly you probably have a better chance of your horse reaching the track since you can take time to ensure she is properly developed and trained.
One of the major considerations in studying the sale catalogue is appreciating the Lot numbers of the yearlings you fancy and trying to anticipate where the potential sales toppers are placed in the line up. Is your chosen yearling between Lot 1 and Lot 15 (early buyers); Lot 75 to the end (most buyers have already gone home) or between Lot 15 and Lot 75 (where bidding will be most competitive)? I always place each yearling in one of Category "A" (probable 10 most in demand and expensive); "B" (10 runner-ups to "A"); "C" (a good buy to have fun with but probably not a Classic contender for whatever reason); and "D" (not interested).
Good luck to the organisers for nice weather and to the buyers who by 5 pm on November 20, "know for a fact" they have purchased the 2013 Derby winner.
English football
The Barclay's Premier League is in full swing with Manchester City taking an early lead. The unparalleled success history of Manchester United football club is "something else", so it was quite a bombshell recently when local city rivals Manchester City beat them 6-1, apparently the first time in 81 years any team had pumped six goals past United. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson called it the worst day of his never ending (25 years) career at Old Trafford, and watching the game on TV, I could not blame him.
It must have been especially galling to be so humiliated by City of all teams! I clearly remember in 1958, when the then "Busby Babes" (Manager Matt Busby) crashed on a return flight from Munich and several "wonder kids" like 18 year old Duncan Edwards died.My brother Chris, who was a rabid Man U fan even back then, was devastated for years after and can still tell you every player involved in the plane crash. I was most worried that the 6-1 loss would have a negative effect on Chris, who that very week underwent major heart surgery but I don't think his wife told him the result!
Thankfully, Chris is back home and recovering well but I know Wayne Rooney, Nani and team mates can hasten his return to good health with some immediate victories!I have to admit that while I have always admired Man U as a team, Ferguson would not be my favourite dinner guest. His personality (if that's what it is called) does not "grab" me and the same goes for another famous coach, Jose Mourinho. Both seem incapable of constructing an interesting sentence, both seem to have ice running through their veins and both have to make a super human effort to crack even a half- smile.
Darren Bravo's maiden century
Last week I submitted an article which was not printed due to a mix-up, but given Darren Bravo's 195 against Bangladesh, I hope must some comments.It is always interesting to reflect on ups and downs in sport, and I take Ravi Rampaul and Darren Bravo as current cricket examples. As a teenager, Rampaul enjoyed a fabulous career and the best and greatest future was predicted for him. Somehow it did not work out and for the next five years or so, Rampaul did not exactly fall off the radar screen but his cricket went from "extraordinary" to "very ordinary".
Then 2011 comes along and a new, fit Rampaul returns to the scene with ongoing excellent performances that have now made him almost an automatic selection on WI team.I am so happy for him and really enjoy watching him on TV running in to bowl with obvious energy, purpose and expectation. He is an admirable role model for reminding youngsters never to give up believing in themselves. Bravo on the other hand ended last year on top of the world but 2011 has been a disappointment, displaying his rare batting talent only occasionally and not fielding to expectations.
Earlier in the year, I went public that Virat Kohli of India and Bravo were the two best young batsmen in world cricket, but while Kohli goes from strength to strength, Bravo seems to have lost momentum, hopefully temporarily. I am sure Bravo will give credence to the cricket cliché that "class is class but form is temporary" and we will soon see a resurgence of his beautiful strokes played with confidence and authority."Well played Bravo-now on to even bigger and better successes.
West Indies cricket on the mind
I don't know about you, but the Chris Gayle-West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) saga has become too boring, frustrating, embarrassing and ridiculous for further comment. Something must be wrong with all their brains, including Gayle's, if between them they cannot decide what Gayle is supposed to apologise for and get it over with one way or the other.In the first innings of the first WI-Bangladesh Test, captain Darren Sammy scored his first Test 50 and as one of his harshest critics in cricket matters, I offer sincere congratulations.
In the second Test won by WI, Sammy captured his 50th Test wicket so along with his several very good catches during the year, I offer even more congrats.I am genuinely pleased for Sammy that he actually captained a winning team because obviously he appears to be a very nice man and like all of us, needs recognition and success.
Congrats to West Indies winning the second Test by so outstanding a margin (229 runs) powered by Darren Bravo's 195 and excellent bowling by Devendra Bishoo and Fidel Edwards. Beating Bangladesh is not exactly scaling cricket's Mt Everest but a win is a win so let's take it and run!
In the Regional Super 50's Tournament, neither semi-final was worth watching and the Final was even less attractive. Along the way, I admired the batting approach of Jason Mohammed, the bowling of Sunil Narine and Veerasammy Permaul but could not help noticing the virtually empty stands at each game, which was the same story at the two WI-Bangladesh Tests.
Congratulations Borel
Belated but hearty congrats to Cleopatra Borel for winning a silver medal for shot put at the Pan Am Games. Great effort and well deserved! We are very proud of you!