Howard Hamilton

The passing of Clive de-Saumarez Alexander has gone almost unnoticed by the racing fraternity. "Bobby" Alexander passed away quietly in Vancouver, Canada on the 7th of November this year.

He will always be remembered for the enthusiasm and passion which he had for the racing industry in Jamaica. Bobby's involvement spanned the 1950s and 1960s. He was Champion Breeder in 1962, when his pair of home-bred horses, SAUMEREZ and JOBBER BILL, swept the Classics.

The records show that he initiated the formal publishing of the Racing Year of Jamaica in 1948, in collaboration with Gerald Farquharson. The statistics were supplied by "Bob" Mayall, with the authority of the Stewards of the Jockey Club.

He first got involved in the breeding of horses in 1949 with a stallion named BOB HOPE (Rose Prince/May Apple) at a farm called Birdsucker Stud Farm in the Red Hills area. BOB HOPE produced SAN PEDRO (Bob Hope/ California) who eventually became his most successful stallion.

New stud farm

Bobby raced several horses and was Champion Owner in 1958 with a string of horses which included BLUE WARBLER, VALHALLA, COMRIE, DIN, and the impressive MILITARY LAW, who spent but a short time in Jamaica prior to being shipped to the United States. In 1952, Bobby moved to a new stud farm - Circle Valley Stud -and stood DOUBLEMAN, SAN PEDRO, BOB HOPE, and, in the latter years, BILL DANDY and XAN at a farm called the Woodburn Stud, to which he had moved in 1964.

SAN PEDRO produced two outstanding race horses in SAUMEREZ and JOBBER BILL. Those of you who remember the 1962 Derby will recall CHEVALIER starting as the favourite and being humbled by Bobby's pair of champions. SAUMEREZ won by about eight lengths with JOBBER BILL finishing second. The favourite CHEVALIER was a floundering fourth.

Both JOBBER BILL and SAUMAREZ stood as stallions at his Woodburn Stud farm and produced a number of good runners including PAPACITO, YANKEE DOODLE and BILL DANDY who eventually joined the farm at about the time when Bobby was winding down his stud farm operations. He eventually sent most of his stock to the Pat Chung-owned and operated Colbeck Farm in Old Harbour

Bobby's time in racing saw him racing at Little Ascot in Old Harbour, Knutsford Park and Caymanas Park (touted then when it opened in August of 1959 as the new beginning for racing as the industry entered the second half of the 20th century). How disappointed and hurt he would be if he was around to see how racing has deteriorated.

The racing industry lives in hope that one day we will again be able to attract persons of the character of the Bobby Alexanders of this world. He was respected by all for the integrity, ethics and consideration demonstrated for people from all walks of life. We will miss you Bobby. May you rest in peace, and may light eternal shine upon you.