Saffie Osborne is set to continue her association with Scampi when he bids for Sky Bet Ebor glory at York on Saturday week.
The 21-year-old was in the saddle aboard Andrew Balding’s charge when he registered his second victory of the season on the Shergar Cup card at Ascot last Saturday, and connections are delighted to have retained her services when Scampi heads to the Knavesmire for the prestigious handicap.
Owned by the RaceShare syndicate, the five-year-old is as short as 14-1 for the £500,000 contest, having secured his spot in the race by winning the Jorvik Handicap at the track earlier in the season, and plenty of his supporters will be making the trip to cheer him on in his quest for further glory.
“We’re all on an absolute high at the moment,” said Lucy Delaney, managing director of RaceShare.
“We have confirmed that Saffie Osborne keeps the ride in the Ebor, which we are really thrilled about because she gave him an absolute cracking ride at Ascot on Saturday.
“York have been fantastic in supporting us and we hope to have a really big group of owners there cheering him on and he’s obviously reached new heights really.
“Scampi’s name and his style of running just really connects with people and he has a bit of a following now. I think not just his RaceShare owners, but the wider racing public have latched onto him because he has become a really consistent Saturday horse.
“We’re just hoping everything goes well in the Ebor and he is able to put up one of his always consistent runs.”
A bold showing in the Ebor could help fulfil ambitious plans from the owners to race in Australia later in the season, with Scampi holding nominations for both the Caulfield Cup on October 21 and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
The Ebor also serves as an automatic qualifier for the ‘race that stops the nation’ on November 7, so there is plenty on the line when the Kingsclere inmate heads north on August 26.
“He went up 6lb for his win and obviously it is still a dream, but if he did run well in the Ebor and goes up a bit more, Australia is a possibility,” continued Delaney.
“Andrew entered him in the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup with the feeling being he was going so well at home and if he did come out and win the Ebor and he wasn’t entered in those races, we might regret it.
“He confirmed how he is flying at the moment with his win at Ascot on Saturday and we’re trying not to get too excited, but his community of owners are all counting down the days to the Ebor.
“We are massively keen on Australia. He would need a further jump in the ratings, so he would need to do well in the Ebor or even a race soon after to get into the Australian races. But if he does continue on his upward curve, we would be really keen to take on the Australians.”
Although Scampi’s legion of syndicate members may still be holding fire on booking their tickets to Australia, he has easily become the standard-bearer for the fledgling RaceShare operation since being purchased for 85,000 guineas last October.
He has secured over £100,000 in prize-money for his owners and his importance is not lost on Delaney, who via RaceShare attempts to enhance the ownership experience through interactive means, such as live shows on racedays, broadcasting not only the Raceshare horses in action but also showing behind the scenes footage from the track with key participants.
She said: “We only launched in November last year with the five horses and we’ve grown from there and in fairness they have all done all right.
“There is still probably a lot to come from Treasure Time and Red Mirage will find his form, and I think Jolly Nellerie is going to be a typical Venetia Williams long-term project.
“But Scampi really couldn’t have done much more for us than he has, he’s an absolute hero. There’s over 1,000 people involved with Scampi and all our horses are divided into 4,000 shares.
“You can buy from one to 250 shares and the aim is, while we want to make the raceday experience on course brilliant, we want to do a really good job of creating a really good experience off course as well, because the majority of owners are never going to actually get to the course most of the time.
“We’ve built up a lovely community of owners in a really short space of time and the form of Scampi is just the icing on the cake.”
Supreme Ventures Racing urges review of racing rule after Caymanas Park abandonments
Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), operators of Caymanas Park, have called for a review of Rule 44 (iii) enforced by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) following the cancellation of two races during the April 27 race meet at Caymanas Park.
In a press conference on Monday addressing the abandoned races, SVREL Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe expressed frustration with the rule, highlighting its potential impact on the racing industry.
"This rule, unique to Jamaica, imposes a strict five-minute limit after the published post time for races at Caymanas Park," Sharpe stated. "It fails to account for various factors that can delay race starts and penalizes all stakeholders when races are abandoned, affecting punters, jockeys, grooms, trainers, owners, promoters, and the government."
Last year, Caymanas Park contributed over $260 million in combined taxes to the government's coffers. Sharpe urged the JRC to engage SVREL in discussions on Rule 44, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue to address the rule's impact.
"We were not consulted during the initial discussions on this rule, and now, with two races abandoned in a single race day, our concerns have materialized," Sharpe explained. "SVREL is open to collaborating with the JRC to review and refine this amended rule."
Representatives from the Grooms Association, Jockeys Association, and the United Racehorse Trainers Association echoed SVREL's concerns and supported the call for a review of Rule 44.
Sharpe concluded by appealing to regulators, stakeholders, and the public to support the growth of the horseracing industry in Jamaica. "Horseracing has immense potential in Jamaica and can become a significant foreign exchange earner. Realizing this potential requires collaboration among all stakeholders."
SVREL has been operating Caymanas Park since March 2017 after the government divested the property. With investments exceeding J$4 billion in product enhancements and innovations like the Mouttet Mile, which boasts the largest purse in the English-speaking Caribbean, SVREL remains committed to advancing the horseracing experience in Jamaica.
Supreme Ventures Racing regrets abandonment of two races at Caymanas Park on Saturday
Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited (SVREL) has expressed regret and disappointment following the abandonment of two races during the Saturday, April 27 race day at Caymanas Park in St Catherine, Jamaica.
The decision to abandon these races, SVREL said, was made in compliance with regulations set forth by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), leading to the refund of all related pools according to SVREL's Pari-mutuel rules.
According to the statement released by SVREL late Saturday, the abandonment of races number one and six, respectively, was declared by the stewards of the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) due to delays that exceeded the permitted time frame as stipulated by Rule 44(iii).
Specifically, in race number one, scheduled to commence at 12:00 pm, a saddling issue with horse number five and a mandatory veterinary check for horse number eight, which reared and fell after exiting the saddling barn, resulted in delays beyond the allowable limit.
Similarly, race number six, slated for 3:10 pm, was delayed due to a horse running loose, ultimately leading to its abandonment by the stewards of the JRC.
SVREL explained that the recent amendments to Rule 44(iii), which came into effect from April 1, 2024, mandate strict adherence to race start times with a maximum allowance of five minutes after the published post time. SVREL noted that Jamaica is unique in enforcing such a rule without prior consultation with the sole promoter of horseracing in Jamaica.
The enforcement of this rule has led to financial losses for industry stakeholders, including owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, punters, and the promoter and as such the disruption caused by the abandonment of these races understandably resulted in unrest among stakeholder groups.
Despite the challenges faced, the race meet resumed with race number seven at approximately 4:00 pm, SVREL noted.
SVREL has now issued a sincere apology to valued customers and stakeholders for the inconvenience caused by the abandonment of races one and six by the JRC. SVREL also emphasized its readiness for open dialogue with the JRC and all impacted stakeholders to ensure the continued success and integrity of the horseracing industry.
As the sole promoter of horseracing in Jamaica, SVREL said it remains committed to addressing challenges collaboratively and upholding the highest standards of professionalism and service within the industry.
Light seeking to shine again at Sandown
Kitty’s Light is taking aim at his usual season finisher in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
The gelding has been a star for trainer Christian Williams, winning big handicap events like the Eider Chase and the Scottish Grand National and going close in the Charlie Hall and the Coral Trophy.
He has particularly good record in the bet365 Gold Cup on the final day of the season, missing out only due to interference when second in 2021 and coming home third in 2022.
Last year he was completed the set of podium finishes when winning by two and a half lengths under usual jockey Jack Tudor.
The two are well acquainted and teamed up for Kitty’s Light’s Grand National bid at Aintree earlier in the month, where he ran a valiant race to finish fifth behind four Grade-One winning Irish chasers.
Williams was incredibly proud of his stable star and is now hoping the gelding can shine again in the Sandown contest he has found to be lucrative in the past.
“It was wonderful, we trained him to win the race and we thought he could, but you couldn’t be disappointed with what he did,” Williams said of the National performance.
“We were thrilled, the horse tried his best and we were very, very proud of horse and jockey.
“He’s come out of it very well, if the race was run today even then he’d be running, he’s in good form.
“He loves it at Sandown with the big fences, his jumping has come on now but even as a five-year-old he nearly won the race.
“He was third the year after that, it really seems to suit him.
“I think he likes going right-handed, he hangs a little bit right at home and he seems to really enjoy it there.
“We’re taking our chance anyway, he seems well and we’ll hope for the best.”
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