Walk in the park for Sparkle Diamond

SPARKLE DIAMOND, the most talked-about horse in training at Caymanas Park, is in a race against time to meet the conditions for what could be the fifth and last running of the US$115,000 Diamond Mile on November 9.

Having made a total transformation within three months of finishing next-to-last on his March 30 debut, the imported three-year-old chestnut colt has been sending shivers down the spines of rival trainers since moving from Paul Charlton to Ralph Porter's barn for his last two races.

Facing six rivals in Tuesday's opening event is expected to be a third-straight walk in the park for SPARKLE DIAMOND, after clocking 1:05.3 and 58.3 in back-to-back races at five and a half and five furlongs round, respectively, since finishing next-to-last behind SENTIENT on March 30.

However, it is what happens after Tuesday, which will determine SPARKLE DIAMOND's race to face the likes of SHE'S A MANEATER and STRANGER DANGER, and, possibly, defending champion, WILL IN CHARGE, in the Diamond Mile.

An expected victory would push SPARKLE DIAMOND past $1.5m in earnings from four races, ahead of other Diamond Mile aspirants such as BIGDADDYKOOL. However, it's not earnings from just about any race that will get him into the Diamond Mile.

FIRST PREFERENCE

New conditions for the J$13m event gives automatic first-preference entry to winners of the Jamaica Derby, Superstakes, Caribbean Sprint Championship, Invitational Mile, Gold Cup, and the Diamond Mile from the previous year, provided he finishes first to third in at least one grade one event.

Other horses, such as SPARKLE DIAMOND, qualify based on their year-to-date earnings from: (a) Grade I or Stakes races at six furlongs or more. (b) Open Allowance races over seven furlongs or more and (c) Overnight Allowance races at seven furlongs or longer.

Four positions are 'reserved for horses domiciled in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago since January 1,2019, as well as two positions for horses being imported directly to Jamaica for the event from any other recongnised racing jurisdictions less than two months before the November 9 Diamond Mile', the conditions further state.

After Tuesday's baby hurdle, SPARKLE DIAMOND would have graduated to overnight allowance where his earnings towards Diamond Mile qualification would have just started accumulation. Hence, fly high, fly low, SPARKLE DIAMOND's target must be the August 31 Gold Cup, one of five guaranteed 'win and you're in' races, the other open to him being the Invitational Mile on Superstakes Day, October 5.

In both races, Grade I events, SPARKLE DIAMOND will come face-to-face with STRANGER DANGER and, possibly, SHE'S A MANEATER in the Gold Cup, defeat in either will mount roadblocks in his Diamond Mile path, a slap in the face to the intent of the race, which is to pit the best against the best.