Many members of the fraternity expressed that they were a little taken aback with the realisation that four years have sped by since promoting company Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) presented its first race meet on March 11, 2017.

This means that in approximately 370 days the initial lease arrangement with the Government would come to the end of its first phase and the evaluation should make interesting analysis then. Naturally, we will have more to say at the relevant time.

The decision to mark the occasion is quite appropriate and so the inaugural 1200-metre SVREL Anniversary Trophy as the 10th event is the first of what is expected to be an annual presentation.

A field of six was declared and speedy Patriarch (Youville Pinnock) trained by Fitzgerald Richards led and had all except the winner in trouble at the of top the stretch. The leader ran well in the home straight but failed by just over one length to hold the challenge of the Gary Subratie-trained Duke ridden by Dick Cardenas.

Starting for the 103rd occasion, 10-year-old gelding Unbreakable was sent off the odds-on favourite to win the 1200-metre opening event. Clearly the aged battler has not retained all of his ability of around six months ago and required all the jockeyship skills of Dane “The Warrior Chief” Nelson to manufacture victory by a fast diminishing half a length for trainer Ryan Williams’ first of the season and the 25th for the grand old thoroughbred.

Half an hour later the underperformance of odds-on favourite Prince Charles, who hardly raised a gallop, gave the opportunity to 28/1 chance Anaso (Paul Francis) to wear down long-time leader Mr Universe (Tevin Foster) to score by 1 1/2 lengths for conditioner Ryan Darby’s seventh of the season.

Surprisingly, it took promising lightweight apprentice Nicholas Hibbert 29 rides to get off the mark when the Robert Pearson-trained colt Will the Conquerer won the 800-metre straight maiden third.

Division II of this three-year-old maiden event was the fourth on the card and champion Anthony Nunes gave infrequently engaged Richard Reid the ride on the filly Badgyalriri which turned out to be the winning mount.

Four-year-old colt Puskas (Aaron Chatrie), out for only his eighth career declaration, overcame sundry problems and rewarded the patience of trainer Spencer Chung with a hard-fought winning margin of a neck in the fifth.

Berry Boy (Marshall Porter), a former inmate of the well-appointed Ian Parsard outfit, did trainer Michael Thomas a good turn by overcoming a ground-losing start to win the sixth.

Trainer Wayne DaCosta saddled his first of two successes when 38/1 chance Eagle One (Carlos Blake) came home over two lengths clear of odds-on favourite and stablemate Lure of Lucy in the 1400-metre seventh.

Heavyweight apprentice Mario Chong, son of trainer Albert and quite popular in his own right, had his first career success on seventh race favourite Diamond League for trainer Victor Williams’ third strike of the season.

Diosa De Ora (Javaniel Patterson) went clear approaching early in the home stretch of the 1400-metre ninth and won by seven lengths for trainer Patrick “Mice” Taylor.

Dacosta had his second winner in the 1200-metre 11th and closing event secured by front-runner Casual Affair with Patterson riding for his own double success and ninth win this season.

THE AWARDS

The Training Feat Award is presented to Spencer Chung for the conditioning of Puskas, who beat a hugely competitive rival in a display of the Best Winning Gallop under the skilful handling of Aaron “Iceman” Chatrie for the day’s coveted Jockeyship Award.