Junior drivers Mitch Robinson and Kaleb Camara savoured their moment in the spotlight after coming away as double heat winners at Bermuda Equestrian Centre last Sunday.

Warwick Academy student Robinson, aged just 10, swept both heats in the 1:07 — 1:09 division with gelding Kool the Fire, while 12-year-old Mount Saint Agnes Academy student Camara achieved the feat with mare Inwood’s Progress in the quicker 1:05/3 — 1:06/4 division. Both ponies race out of Belhaven Stables.

Rookie driver Robinson is happy to be making big strides in his debut season in the sport.

“It feels to good to be a double heat winner and exceeded my expectations,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“This is my rookie season and I have done three race days. I have only just started with Fire and am still getting use to him.

“I train my pony every week and trainer Candyce Martins helps me along the way and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Camara, who is competing in his second season in the sport, was also surprised by his successful outing.

“I was surprised because I have been racing just under a year,” he said.

“Ms Candyce asked me if I wanted to jog a pony and I liked it, so she convinced me to try racing.

“All of the ponies are experienced, and training and jogging makes them more fit and faster.”

Simsfield Stables’ four-year-old gelding, Gold Rush, produced the fastest time on the day and season of 1:02/2 with driver Kirista Rabain on the way to achieving an impressive sweep of their own in the two Free for All heats they competed in.

Rockeyed Optimist and owner/driver Maurice Raynor and rival gelding Red October (Simsfield Stables) and driver Rabain picked up a win each in the remaining Free for All heats, featuring the fastest ponies on the island.

Red October and Rabain held the season’s fastest time of 1:03/1 heading into the third round of the 2026-27 harness racing season.

Belhaven Stables’ gelding Smart Machine was scratched from the two Free for All heats it was scheduled to compete in.

“He struggles a bit with sweating in the hotter weather, so with the temperatures being what they were that day and a long season ahead, I felt it was in his best interest to scratch him,” said trainer/driver Martins, who also serves as Driving Horse and Pony Club president.

Tahzil Flood and Jashaun Young also picked up a win each in the Junior Free for All competing with Inwood’s Realist (Belhaven Stables) and Holy Grail (McKeisha Smith).

Google Me Twice and driver Darico Clarke were the only entry in the 1:12/3 and slower division. Naje Degraff’s two-year-old filly is the daughter of existing overall track record holder and mare, Google Me, and former overall track record holder and stud Big Red Machine.