A DIAMOND MILE PREVIEW
We’re a week away from the season’s biggest racing weekend as, sadly, the Diamond Mile has replaced the Superstakes as the year’s championship race. How was this illusion constructed? As usual, …
Absolute Madness
It appears that most Jamaicans are upset over the government voting itself hefty increases in salaries ranging from 100% to 200% and more. The reaction can be understood as there are no means of accountability or …
Trainers’ championship all over? Again!
Jamaica’s brainless, unoriginal, sycophantic horse racing media “analysts” are at it again. From as far back as July this year, one excitable radio commentator announced that Anthony “Baba” Nunes was the …
Ignore myths and other public tipsters
Over the years, I’ve done my best to encourage punting fanatics to spend time learning the fundamentals of the horse; of picking winners; AND (the most crucial skill) the fundamentals of …
Walking While The World Rides?
In so many areas of life, Jamaica seems comfortable with easy-going, laid-back, “no-problem-mon” archaic circumstances. The separated but related industries of betting, gaming and lotteries are no exception. In the 1980s …
Will Racing Sleep With The Fishes?
BY THE TERRIBLE TOUT I can’t believe this is my 50th column for Public Opinion. Or that you’ve allowed me to bore you to death for so long. Ah, well, once …
Fillies Time of Year
It’s that time of year again when the fillies, dull and listless all summer, tend to pop up as unappreciated long shots and reward faithful punters committed to clear thinking with …
Where Time Is Meaningless!
Last week, in-between family duties, I watched as much of the five-day Glorious Goodwood festival from Sussex, England, as possible. On Thursday, a peculiar thing happened. Although the first race went …
Value at the tote (less is more) and in the St Leger
Unfortunately, local horse racing continues to bleed customers of all ages. Very few of the millennial generation are sufficiently interested to invest in a tote that extorts 30% of stakes …
A Derby Day Fashion Statement
The following apocryphal story has been making the rounds since I was knee high to a grasshopper (or grass lice whichever you prefer). Lord Nelson was on the bridge of HMS …
Jamaica Derby Preview
The Jamaica Derby’s 99th running is scheduled for tomorrow but Public Opinion deadlines mean readers must be satisfied with a very early preview. I’ll be looking at the horses I expect …