So local horse racing returned on June 13 after much behind-the-scenes activity and in front of the camera contention. At time of publication four race days have been run; the cards well supported, competitive and the betting turnover very good. Yet some stakeholders are up in arms because, when...

So, local horse racing is not only on furlough but finds itself smack dab in the middle of a parish lockdown. Men are getting antsy. This seems to have severely damaged their ability to reason. In a sincere attempt to help, the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) recently waived all...

COVID-19’s closure of racing has resulted in plenty retrospection by ye olde Touty which revealed a column I wrote (published 2003) that, ironically, could’ve been published today. So here’s an edited reboot. “This series is unashamedly about betting and, more particularly, successful betting. Over the years I’ve tried to...

So, local horse racing has finally been sent on furlough. This after weeks of stubborn resistance during which countless Jamaicans of modest means and most vulnerable to the current pestilence were herded into cramped, unsanitary Off Track Betting parlours (OTBs) to fiscally maintain horseracing by gambling away their meagre...

Last week’s local horse racing news was dominated by a mystery virus sweeping the stables that severely depleted Ash Wednesday entries.  Racing scheduled for Saturday, February 29, was postponed for lack of entries. Nobody seems to know the origin or nature of the virus but horses affected first started...

Guineas anticipation is at a high after an impressive reappearance by pre-season favourite Wow Wow and flashy, clock-stopping efforts by “talking horse” Mahogany. Wow Wow returned onFebruary 9 (3yo Graded Stakes; 1,300m) where he showed an impressive change of pace staying on well past Nipster (one for the notebook)....

The hot topic at the race track these days is the long time it’s taking for Triple Crown winner Supreme Soul to return home after an unsuccessful tilt at the Caribbean Classic at Gulfstream Park, Florida. Apparently, the horse was cleared for travel to Florida by local Racing Commission...

Congratulations to 2019 Champion Trainer Anthony Nunes on a comprehensive and emphatic victory in the championship race. After his obvious disappointment in 2018 he put his foot on the gas from the outset in 2019 and never let up. His handling of the classic season was outstanding and resulted...

I’ve been asked if I ever win money betting on horses. There’s a straight (boring) and a tongue-in-cheek (entertaining) answer. Both are true. The boring answer is, in the long term, nobody wins betting on anything. The “House” always wins. Totalisators ensure this outcome by fixing the system so...