Javed Ali’s prediction comes to pass at President’s Cup horse race

John Bull lit up Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC) on the eve of Sunday’s T20 Caribbean Premier League clash between Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) and Trinidad Knight Riders (TKR).
Dusk was put on hold, as it witnessed the jawdropping showdown between Slingerz Racing Stable’s John Bull and Guyana Cup winner Easy Time owned by Master Z Racing in Saturday’s curtain event of the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee (JJRTC) President’s Cup for $20,000,000.
As Javed Ali said in a previous interviewe, “Fans come out to have a good time. The competition is what the fans want to witness. A President’s Cup without a big race is like the cherry that did not go on the cake.”
The USA-bred five-year-old Easy Time and the Brazilian-bred five-year-old John Bull met on the racing field for the second time within a month. Easy Time was the runaway winner of last month’s 1600-metre Guyana Cup while John Bull was the pacesetter in the event. He finished unplaced in the race but on Saturday, things turned out different.

Ali remarked, “He is the champion and top horse now. He beat Guyana Cup winner Easy Time, who beat him in the Guyana Cup. He had just come from Brazil in the Guyana Cup. He wasn’t 100 per cent, so I knew when we get him right, he will be hard to beat. This race opened the door for the other owners, and paved the way for competition. John Bull now gave other owners the feeling that any horse could be beaten. It makes the playing level for all, now [that a] Brazilian-bred [horse] come and win the President’s Cup. It’s good for racing.”
Sharing his opinion on Saturday’s race, John Bull and his jockey, Nobel Abrego, Ali declared, “To me, it was not only great, but the best horse race I ever witnessed. Not because my horse (John Bull) won. It was exciting, and the crowd was cheering from the moment both horses left the seven furlongs chute. The race came down to the two jockeys – Colin Ross, and Nobel Abrego. They were like one for most of the journey, and not even breeze could have separated them. It came down to jockeyship, and Abrego is a class jockey.”
Asked if both horses will clash in the near future, Ali blurted out, “Definitely, I want the fans to experience another exciting race, and at the same time I am giving Junior the chance to avenge that loss in a rematch, We looking forward to a rematch; the first race he ran coming to Guyana was in the Guyana Cup, and he wasn’t 100 per cent . He needed the run. We are looking forward to the rematch. I am serving notice on Jimjo (Thurbhewan Jagdeo). We coming to Port Mourant next month, although it is a right-hand track.”
Forecasting the future of the sport, Ali Announced, “Moving ahead horse racing could only get better. Sports in general – we have the support of fans for cricket, football and horse racing. Moving forward things will streamline to move to the next level. Horse racing is the love of the people like cricket.”
Ali revealed he made the suggestion to JJTRC’s racing head, Nasrudeen Mohamed for the match race.
Recalling the conversation between himself and Junior, he said, “I told Junior we cannot have a President’s Cup without a big race. This is the first of its kind, and it will be a treat for the fans to see things that took place years ago in the USA.”
Sharing why the Cup had three runners only and had had to be postponed, Ali further said, “The competition is the reason. Jumbo Jet and I are buying better horses, and they are expensive. While horses do not know their price. Green Monkey who was sold for US$14 million in America, remained a maiden. In the Kentucky Derby, the very expensive horses are not that successful. So, it is everybody’s dream to own a good horse, and not always it is about the cost of the horse, but the luck. My advice to owners, do not fear competition. To be the best, you have to come up against the best. Do not fear the best. Be the best.”
Before the match he had noted, “On Saturday we have the best jockey from Trinidad, Nobel Abrego taking on Guyana’s best jockey Colin Ross. This is another showdown on two of the best horses in Guyana. That is why Junior (of Jumbo Jet) and I are promoting this event to show visitors what One Guyana has to offer them in sports.”
When asked how confident he was about John Bull defeating Easy Time even after the former was well beaten by the latter in the Guyana Cup, Ali answered, “John Bull is the best horse in my stable. After this match race, he will be the best horse in Guyana. I am confident he will wear the President’s Cup crown.”
And after his horse’s triumph, Ali said, “This is a prelude of the result for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) play-off final between Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinidad Knight Riders (TKR). As I stated, Guyana will prevail. ”
This prediction too came to pass.