PHOTOGRAPH BY JUNIOR FRANKLYN

CAPTAIN PJ IN THE WINNERS ENCLOSURE AFTER WINNING THE

JIM CRAWFORD (HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE) (CONDITION RACE)

BY 4¼ LENGHTS FOR HIS OWNER LORD MICHAEL TAYLOR

(second from right), TRAINER WILLIAM CLARKE(far right) WHO

HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL DAY AND A FRIEND OF

LORD MICHAEL TAYLOR (far left)

CHAMPION OWNER STARTS 2006 SEASON

IN SCINTILATING FASHION

BY CHARLIE HEATH

Owner Lord Michael Taylor made a dramatic start to the Barbados Turf Club's 2006 racing year as he had the pleasure of leading in the winners of four races on the First Day of the First Racing Season of 2006 at the Garrison on Saturday January 7, 2006.

During the last racing season of 2005 Lord Taylor turned his horses over to trainer William Clarke who had previously worked as an Assistant Trainer to William 'Bill' Marshall DFC SCM.

The combination of Lord Taylor and William Clarke is proving very fruitful as the winners started from the very first race on the card when apprentice jockey Jonathan Grant booted home STAG HUNTER.

The pair also took the second race when Juan Crawford landed RIBO TANGO who had looked a picture in the ring.

In race five Crawford again gave the pair a win this time with a great ride on CAPTAIN P.J.

In race six Crawford who rides as stable jockey for Lord Taylor and not wanting to be left out of the success the stable was enjoying rode a beauty to win win on GIOVANETTI.

Trainer Robert Peirce, who has taken over the powerful William 'Bill' Marshall DFC SCM stable also had a good day saddling three winners. His first win came in race three when jockey Anderson Ward won on the one-eyed SEÑOR CLEMENTÉ.

Jockey Keveh Nicholls followed this up in race four by winning on FIRST EDITION whilst Ward returned to win race seven, the day's feature race, on PEACE ANGEL.

Good payments were the order of the day and a good crowd was on hand to witness the day's exciting races.

In the days final race jockey Richard 'Pouchie' Lopez, and the horse FOREVER 'N' EVER fell. To the relief of all neither horse nor rider were seriously injured.

It was the only ride Lopez had for the day and he must have been very disappointed as he had to stay in the jockeys room for the entire afternoon just to ride that horse in the last race of the day.

The Barbados Turf Club needs to urgently change that rule as it makes no sense whatsoever to make a jockey spend an entire afternoon in a jockeys room just to ride one horse in the last race.

If jockeys in the United States of American or England had this nonsensical rule it would mean that they would only be able to ride at one track.

An hour before a jockey is scheduled to ride his first race is ample time for him to be available.

Seen among the crowd enjoying the races on Saturday was Barbadian icon Sir Michael Stoute, the leading trainer in England, who in 2005 captured the Champion Trainers' title for the eighth time. Sir Michael returns to his home every year for his holidays.

Racing continues on January 21 with the feature race being the Guardian General Breeders' Stakes & Trophy (GR. IR - BAR).