NewzTHE connections of Don Kwesi have formally lodged an appeal with the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) following the four-year-old’s disqualification from victory in the 7½-furlong (1,500m) Poorlittlerichgirl feature on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Don Kwesi won the three-year-old and upward Open Allowance contest by 10½ lengths, beating Sensational Soul and Run Julie Run in a time of 1:31.4 (22.4 x 45.2 x 1;10.4 x 1:24.3). Trained by Barrington Bernard, Don Kwesi was stripped of the win after raceday stewards reviewed the post-race weigh-in for jockey Jaheim Anderson.
Regulatory Rule 217 (2) governs the issue. It states that if a jockey weighs in more than 0.5kg lighter than their weighed-out weight, or if any fraudulent practice regarding weight occurs, the horse must be disqualified. Stewards found that Anderson weighed in at 1kg under his baseline — exceeding the permitted margin.
The rule further instructs that the matter be escalated to the stewards, who can fine, suspend, or refer the infraction directly to the commission. Under JRC rules, all official appeals must be submitted within a 48-hour window post-disqualification. Don Kwesi’s connections met the deadline, filing their documents early on Monday, August 24.
With the appeal now registered, the matter moves to the JRC commissioners. Their task will be to examine the scale records from raceday, hear evidence from those concerned and raceday officials, and then decide whether to uphold the disqualification or reinstate. Until the commission rules, the race result remains amended.
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