Crichton hails acclimatised The Prince’s Spur after Jamaica Cup masterclass

Trainer Rohan Crichton says The Prince’s Spur has finally acclimatised to Jamaica, and the result was a masterclass performance in the $6-million Jamaica Cup at Caymanas Park on Monday, October 19, 2026. In a dominant display of pace and power, Crichton’s seven-year-old American-bred bay gelding won the sixth running of the Graded Stakes feature over 9 ½ furlongs (1,900m) by an ever-widening 6 ¼ lengths. “Well he’s acclimatised and I think third run in Jamaica it was his best run,” Crichton said. “If you go back in his history, he has a lot of back class and I felt that he would do well here, and I know he likes two turns, I know he has a good pace, and so we earmarked the Mouttet Mile for him since January of this year,” he further said. Under champion-chasing jockey Raddesh Roman, The Prince’s Spur broke cleanly and settled beautifully in second behind Mojito (Tajay Suckoo) around the clubhouse turn.

Part-owner Dennis Smith (fourth right), trainer Rohan Crichton (third right) and other connections with The Prince’s Spur in the winners’ enclosure after winning the $6-million Jamaica Cup on Monday, October 19, 2026. (Photo: Naphatli Junior)

Down the backstretch Teflon Don (Garvin Harris) joined Mojito and The Prince’s Spur to make it a three-horse battle, but Roman was just biding his time between rivals at the five-furlong (1,000m) marker. He asked for an effort heading into the half-mile (800m) turn, and the response was decisive. The Prince’s Spur seized control and drew away effortlessly down the lane to win under a hand canter in 1:58.3 (25.2 x 49.1 x 1:12.4 x 1:38.3). “I tell you we’ve brought four or five horses now, and he’s acclimatised the best, and today he’s saddled without much trouble so I know he’s saving his energy, and I thought Raddesh [Roman] rode him really well. He was able to save him on the backstretch and it showed at the end,” Crichton stated. Givano (Tevin Foster) stayed on for second, with Barnaby (Phillip Parchment) third. And for Crichton, it was proof of what he has believed all along. “The Prince’s Spur will run all day, and he also has the ability of good pace, so it’s not that a slow pace can prejudice him, or if you go too quick he can stalk. He showed you today. I kind of listen to everybody saying you can’t get two turns and all that. If you look at his history, it’s more one- and two-turn races than anything else,” Crichton said.

Trainer Rohan Crichton (left) and jockey Raddesh Roman celebrate the win by The Prince’s Spur in the $6-million Jamaica Cup at Caymanas Park on Monday, October 19, 2026. (Photo: Naphatli Junior)

Roman says once he got The Prince’s Spur relaxed, he knew the Jamaica Cup was his to lose. “Well, as I see it, it was a pretty easy race. The key was to just get him relaxed as early as possible, and once I do that, I know they will have to beat me today,” Roman said. “Even at the six furlongs, I knew he would take a lot of beating because he was very relaxed and I had a lot of horse under me. So when I asked him to go, he definitely went on, and approaching the three furlongs no one came for me and I was still comfortable, so I knew I had it from there,” Roman added. Roman was aboard Barnaby when he won the Distinctly Irish Trophy by 28 lengths last month, but chose The Prince’s Spur in the Jamaica Cup. “Well, the two horses are very nice horses, but I think this horse [The Prince’s Spur] has a lot of ability, and this is only his second and a half run since he came to Jamaica so I know the only thing he can do is just improve, so I decided to take my shot here, and there we go. I think this horse is something special,” he said.