Dale Murphy, president of the United Racehorse Trainers’ Association (URTA) of Jamaica, is giving full endorsement to the Diamond Mile race day, saying that the new initiative will certainly bring back the sport of horseracing to its glory days. The Diamond Mile race day is set for December 5 , with the main feature on the day being the inaugural running of the 1,600-metre Diamond Mile, which will carry a record purse of JA$13.5 million (US$115,000).

“The Diamond Mile race day is a good thing for racing. The way how it is being promoted tells a lot about its expectations. The purses for the day alone are a massive attraction and the details of the event which was announced at the launch recently, suggest that the Diamond Mile will be one of the nicest race days to be held at Caymanas Park for a long time,” Murphy told the Complete Racing Guide.

“Racing needs this injection of promotion and purse money to bring back some interest into the sport. With the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BG&LC), Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) and Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) behind this, promoting the day, I think that the Diamond Mile race day will be a very successful one and I endorse it 100 per cent,” the URTA president said.

Murphy, a graduate of Jamaica College, said that he has no problem with the conditions of the race.

“The conditions were made public and although it doesn’t really suit everybody, we all just have to work with it. It is what it is,” he said.

“A lot of trainers are not going to like the conditions, while for others it will be OK. For instance, trainer Harry Parsard has horses like Uppa Tune and Pete’swildone, and probably the conditions will put them at a disadvantage as both will have to carry the top weight of 57.0 kgs. But he also has another horse, Potcheen, who will be better off at the weights, so it is vice-versa. It will be a wonderful race and I am happy that it will be introduced at Caymanas Park,” he ended.