The Barbados Advocate, Monday, March 6, 1995
Griffith excels Cockspur Day
Asian Jane was
the star performer of the day among the horses having won the
feature Cockspur Cup, but riding honours of the
day went to Chris Griffith, who booted home the
first two winners on the nine-race program at the Garrison
last Saturday.
Chris, who is a resident jockey in Canada, had arrived
at the track just in time for the first to partner the Sean
Hall-trained Bonnie Blueflag in the Cockspur
Five Star 151 Proof Stakes and Trophy.
The Laurie Silvera-owned filly was installed as
the favourite and she did not disappoint, although she survived a
scare in the straight where she was passed by the light-weighted Dundalk.
Asserting authority
Chris kept his
cool and managed to conjure up something extra from the filly,
who fought back gallantly and was asserting her authority at the
finish. She wore down Dundalk and went on to win
by half length.
But if the ride on Bonnie Blueflag was good, the
one on Sound of the Sea in the second race, the Cockspur
Five Star White Rum Stakes and Trophy, was even better
as Griffith was at his brilliant best in that
race.
The race was run over 1800 meters, and before it got under way
quite a number of punters had expressed the opinion that gelding
will not stay the trip. Trainer Sean Hall and
his jockey had other ideas and from the off Griffith
pushed Sound of the Sea into the lead.
He rode a brilliantly tactical race from in front - somewhat
reminiscent of Richard Quinn's on Alto
Jane in last year's Cockspur - and
managed to get the horse home first despite doubts in some
quarters of the horse's ability to stay the distance.
Both Bonnie Blueflag
and Sound of the Sea are being trained by
youthful trainer Sean Hall, who has done a good
job, particularly on Sound of the Sea, who is
really a trainer's nightmare since he has always been a difficult
horse to train.
The second-placed Mr.Confusion had linked up
with Sound of the Sea from by the two-furlong
marker, but Sound of the Sea battled on gamely
throughtout the last two furlongs.
Whenever Mr. Confusion came alongside him, and Griffith
asked him for more, he went into his reserves and pulled out that
extra and although Pat Husbands tried hard on
the Nas Issa trained gelding, Sound of
the Sea kept going, and going, and going. It was truly a
great performance by both horse and jockey.