By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer 
Howard Jaghai and Robert Darby Jr.
NEWLY licenced second generation trainers, Howard Jaghai and Robert Darby Jr. are looking forward to making an impact at Caymanas Park in the coming year.
Already both have made promising starts to their career.
Howard, 21-year-old son of veteran trainer Harry Jaghai, posted his second winner on Saturday when LADY BALLARI won the sixth race in a driving finish from LET THE MUSIC PLAY. And later in the afternoon, Robert Jr. the 29-year-old son of trainer Robert Darby, notched his first winner, CHECK ME OUT, in the day's feature, race three in the Craven 'A' Claiming Championship series over 1200 metres.
Robert Jr. and Howard were among 29 assistant trainers who graduated as trainers on September 27 after successfully completing a one-year course conducted by the Jamaica Racing Commission. And both graduated at the top of the class.
Robert won the Chairman's Trophy for graduating as the overall top performer and also shared the CTL award with Howard for having achieved the highest practical grade.
Chips off the old block, the two young men say they plan to take training very seriously. Their goal is not only to emulate their fathers but go even further with a view of becoming champion trainer, an honour that eluded their fathers. Howard said:
"I cannot imagine myself anywhere else but around horses where career opportunity is concerned. I plan to become a full time trainer.
"While growing up I wanted to become a vet. But as I left school and became more and more involved in racing, I changed my mind and aspired to be a trainer, having developed a special love for horses.
"Later down the line I will possibly become involved in the breeding aspect of racing", explained the 21-year-old Wolmerian who recently took a bride.
During his formative years in racing alongside his father Harry, Howard recalled the thrill of seeing such horses as MARLEE BARLEY, PROCEED, BOLD QUEEN and CLASSY SLEW, among others, win races at the top level.
Since obtaining his licence early last month, Howard has acquired seven horses, including SIR THAKUR BABA who gave him his first training success on the big Superday programme (November 10) and of course, LADY BALLARI.
The others include an unraced 2-y-o offspring of Classy Slew - LADY BANGADESH, other juveniles in LADY HYDERABAD and LADY PHAGWAH, a half sister to Jason's Dream, as well as LADY DIWALI and the proven campaigner SIR ABBAS MANGAL who he recently acquired from his father.
Significantly, all are owned by his uncle, Henry Jaghai J.P., proprietor of Bombay Stud Farm and the champion breeder for the past four years.
Howard says he plans to establish himself next year even if it means training for outsiders or taking in claiming horses.
Robert Darby Jr., on the other hand, hopes to utilise the claiming system to build his empire, in much the same way as his father.
An old boy of Kingston College, Robert never aspired to become a trainer after leaving school and actually worked in the insurance field for four years while his father and younger brother, Ryan, kept the Darby name prominent in racing in the 90s.
He even went to Washington D.C. to attend Junior College for a year, but eventually was bitten by the racing bug and learnt the ropes as an assistant trainer to his father.
"Prior to embarking on the JRC course, I learnt a lot from my father, especially how to deal with lame and problem horses. By the time I took the course, I was pretty advanced, yet the course was very informative and this went a far way in making me a complete trainer", he recalled.
To date he has acquired four horses -- CHECK ME OUT, MOONSTRUCK, HE AIN'T HEAVY, a 3-y-o he acquired from Anthony Nunes and MATANAH, who was recently claimed for $300,000 from Philip Feanny.
Come next year he plans to claim a number of horses and hopes to set the stage for a bright future. He is willing to work hard to achieve for he recognises that there is no substitute for hard work.
Like Howard, Robert is married. They became friends during the JRC course and both teamed up in saddling and bandaging to top the practical course in the final exam.
