Lord Massusus takes Desmond Stakes honours at Leopardstown

By Sports Desk August 17, 2023

Lord Massusus notched the biggest success of his career when scorching to victory in the Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown.

Joseph Murphy’s three-year-old had looked a progressive operator earlier in the year, but had failed to make his mark in two recent outings in Pattern company.

Sent off 11-2 when returned to a mile for this Group Three event, rider Gary Carroll was in no rush aboard the gelded son of Markaz.

In fact it looked as if the race was 11-4 favourite Alfred Munnings’s to lose when Ryan Moore hit the front in the home straight, but Lord Massusus was making stealthy progress and quickly inching his way into contention.

Carroll asked his mount for maximum effort approaching the final furlong and he had a willing partner as they hunted down Alfred Munnings with the post looming to register a one-and-a-half-length success.

“We were disappointed the last day but things didn’t go right for him, he pulled too hard,” said Murphy.

“We got him switched off today, he came home well and a fast pace suited him. He won like a good horse, I thought it was a good performance.

“That’s what he was showing us when we supplemented him for the Minstrel Stakes.

“That’s his fifth win now. There is a little bit of ease in the ground today, the day he ran in the Listed race and was running on well (fourth in the Celebration Stakes) it was good, so he’s versatile.

“He has a low action so good ground makes no difference.”

On future plans, Murphy said: “We’ll look forward to the big meeting now, he’ll go for the Dullingham Park Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend.”

There may have been no joy for Aidan O’Brien in the feature, but the Ballydoyle handler saw Chief Little Rock go one better than his debut course and distance second to get off the mark in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden.

The son of Galileo needed every yard of the one-mile contest to assert his dominance, but the odds-on scorer appears a colt heading in the right direction and could have booked his ticket to bigger and better things.

“Ryan said he was very babyish still, that he came out and he didn’t really know what to do even after having a run,” said O’Brien.

“He said he always felt that he was going to win, but that he was very green with him and he said he felt like a horse that was going to improve a lot, so we won’t rush him.

“The first day he ran around and was green so we rode him up there today and he probably found all that new too.

“It was satisfactory, but he needs to come on and he thinks he will.”

He added: “We could look at something like the Beresford, but we won’t have to rush him and he’ll stay at a mile. He’ll handle an ease in the ground too, and he’s a middle-distance horse for next year.”

Also opening his account was Joseph O’Brien’s Up And Under, who put his experience to good use in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Twice runner-up in Derby trials at the Dublin track before heading to the Curragh for the Irish Derby itself, the Lope De Vega colt took real advantage of this drop in class to get on the scoresheet as the 4-9 favourite.

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    The investigation was prompted after the Heroes’ Day race meet at Caymanas Park was abandoned on Monday, October 21, 2024. A group of punters reacted violently to the stewards’ decision in Race 2, leading to the event’s cancellation for safety reasons. Sharpe stressed that the current state of officiating is not up to par for a racing jurisdiction aspiring to world-class status.

    “Our internal investigation has identified significant training gaps that have resulted in local stewarding practices falling short of international standards,” Sharpe said. He explained that while SVREL provides the facilities for racing, the stewards' oversight falls under the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), a government-appointed body. Sharpe believes this disparity between local and international standards must be addressed immediately.

    In his statement, Sharpe emphasized that improving stewarding standards is critical for the growth of horse racing in Jamaica. He called for the implementation of mandatory certification programs for stewards, ensuring that they are properly trained to handle the complexities of modern racing. He also advocated for regular assessments and retraining of officials to maintain a high level of competence and consistency in their decision-making.

    Sharpe further stressed the need for clear accountability frameworks to be established, so that all decisions made by stewards are transparent and based on consistent, well-defined criteria. This, he believes, would help avoid situations like the one on Heroes’ Day, where the lack of clarity led to confusion and frustration among punters. Moreover, Sharpe called for the introduction of an independent appeals mechanism that would allow for the review of stewarding decisions, ensuring fairness and trust in the system.

    Sharpe explained that these reforms are essential to creating a level playing field and restoring confidence in the integrity of horse racing at Caymanas Park. He expressed frustration that despite previous discussions with the JRC about the need for improved officiating, little progress has been made.

    The incident on Heroes’ Day, which caused significant financial losses estimated at over JMD$70 million, underscored the importance of addressing these issues urgently. While Sharpe acknowledged the passion of racing fans, he firmly condemned the violent behaviour that followed the stewards' decision, stating that it endangered lives and tarnished the reputation of the sport. "While we value our patrons' enthusiasm, any expression of discontent must remain within acceptable bounds of sporting behaviour,” he asserted.

    Sharpe also expressed disappointment with the lack of response from industry stakeholders following the incident. He pointed out that many who are typically vocal about SVREL’s operations have remained silent on this serious breach of sporting conduct. He called on all stakeholders to take equal responsibility for the sport’s integrity and to advocate for improvements in officiating and the overall management of races.

    “The growth and sustainability of horse racing in Jamaica require more than just infrastructure investment and promotional efforts,” Sharpe said. “It demands the consistent application of international best practices across all aspects of racing.”

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    Overseas punters are not to be left out as NYRA will offer a special Pick 5 wager that includes not only two graded stakes at Caymanas Park, including the Mouttet Mile but also the prestigious Cigar Mile at Aqueduct—a Grade 1 race with a purse of US$750,000.


    "NYRA is looking to host an inter tote wagering double race with the Mouttet Mile and the Cigar Mile. Interest in the Mouttet Mile and by extension, Caymanas Park, has spread from coast to coast in the USA. Making betting on the Mouttet Mile accessible in the USA is a great achievement and it takes us closer to realising the ultimate goal of having the race included in the World Pool,” said Sharpe.


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