Jalon Samuel Captures 7th Barbados Gold Cup Victory with Public Sector

In a thrilling finish, Woodbine-based jockey, Jalon Samuel swooped in with Public Sector to capture his seventh Gold Cup victory. The crowd at the Garrison Savannah went wild as Samuel crossed the wire just in the nick of time to beat Gold Cup contenders, Smokin’ T and Bulldoze.

Public Sector ran at Woodbine last year, posting a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 bet365 King Edward Stakes. The son of Kingman also ran against ’23 King’s Plate winner, Paramount Prince in the ’24 Grade 2 Seagram Stakes.

Deccan Prince led most of the way with Bulldoze to his outside in the 1800m turf event. On the final turn they were both collared by a steady stream of local horses, including Abrumar, Smokin’ T and Public Sector who went five wide coming down the stretch.

In the closing furlongs Public Sector ran down his competitors, leaving Smokin’ T and Bulldoze to finish second and third respectively. Public Sector’s jockey, Barbadian-born Samuel has now added a seventh Gold Cup title to his name. Samuel’s other Gold Cup wins include: ’23 It’s a Gamble, ’20 Night Prowler, ’18 Sir Dudley Digges, ’16 & ’17 Dorsett, ’12 Dancin David. The Grade 1 $316,500 Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup is the island’s marquee racing event. The Gold Cup is usually run every year around the first week of March.

Public Sector is an eight-year-old horse trained by local conditioner Romel Lovell for Melrose Racing and Mrs. Morgan Joseph. On behalf of Melrose Racing, Peter Odle expressed his gratitude for Samuel’s piloting skills:

“I was quietly confident. It’s 85 per cent luck and 15 per cent preparation. We knew we had done the preparation. We just didn’t need anything to go wrong before or during the race. And to be very honest with you, a jockey can make a huge difference in a race and today Jalon Samuel proved he can win seven Gold Cups. He is a masterful rider. We said we were going to be somewhere off the pace. When he came past the first time, he was dead last, and the fellas were really going at a clip. This is where Jalon is very good, he can judge pace. That race ran in 1:51, that’s one of the fastest times,” said Odle.

Peter Odle owned Public Sector when he ran at Woodbine. This begs the question of whether we will see the horse owner back in Canada at some point soon.

“I always like looking around and seeing good horses.”

Public Sector’s trainer Romell Lovell had this to say about his trainee and Samuel’s special connection: “Jalon rode him at Woodbine as well. Jalon knows him quite well and he’s been getting on him nearly every day since December. Jalon was always confident in him,” said Lovell.

Gold cup winning jockey, Jalon Samuel was quietly content with his ride and win. “It’s alright. It feels good…. we had it planned since last year and it came true.”

Samuel will be returning to Woodbine in a few weeks.

Final order of finish for the 43^rd Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup:

1. Public Sector
2. Smokin’ T
3. Bulldoze
4. Divin Propos
5. Abrumar
6. Deccan Prince
7. Portfolio Company
8. Sir London
9. Jerry the Nipper
10. So Suave

Hayley Morrison, for Woodbine