PHOTOGRAPH BY EDDIE BELLE
FEET ON FLAMES IN FULL FLIGHT SHOWING HIS HE IS A CLASS ABOVE
THE REST WHETHER IT BE 5½, 7.8 OR 9 FURLONGS, TO BEAT THE VERY
QUICKLY IMPROVING SHARP IMPACT FOR THE SECOND TIME BY 1½ LENGHTS
TO WIN THE 2005 SUNSET REEF STAKES & TROPHY AND SECURE THE 2005
JOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR HIS JOCKEY ANDERSON TROTMAN
WHO BEAT HIS CLOSEST RIVAL JUAN CRAWFORD BY A MASSIVE 27 WINS.
FEET ON FLAMES WINS SUNSET REEF STAKES
BY CHARLIE HEATH
Luther Miller III J.P. 6-year-old bay horse FEET ON FLAMES finished the year as the true champion that he is by easily winning the Sunset Reef Stakes & Trophy (GR. I - BAR) for the A1 & Lower over 1570 meters on Boxing Day, the final day of the Barbados Turf Club's 2005 Racing Season.
The versatile FEET ON FLAMES trained by Clayton Greenidge has shown over the 2005 racing season that he is capable of winning at any distance and on any type of ground.
On Boxing Day he again ran his opponents into the ground with his exceptional cruising speed. SHARP IMPACT finished second; KABUL was third and BIRDIE POINT fourth.
FEET ON FLAMES raced 7 times for the year and won 4 races including the prestigious XXIV Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup (GR. I. - INT. - BAR) and the Sunset Reef Stakes & Trophy (GR. I - BAR) the two biggest races during the year for the top class horses.
His earnings for the year was $184,370 and his lifetime earnings todate after winning 20 races stands at $434,255.
The other feature on Boxing Day was the Diamonds International/ Audemars Piguet Bonus Challenge Stakes & Trophy (GR. IR - BAR) for West Indian Bred 2-year-olds over 1570 meters.
The race was won by the Sir Charles Williams owned FIRST CLASS TICKET trained by Andrew Nunes and ridden by Anderson Trotman. Second was QUEEN OF SHEBA with VAN HELSING third and PIARCO fourth.
Unfortunately apprentice Chris Husbands aboard VICTORIA BAY took a fall in this race at the same time causing MR. PRICE any chance he may have had in the race.
However, the bonus jewels for the five race series will go the Philip Moseley and John Poynton the owners of the Victor Cheesman trained colt VAN HELSING as he finished at the top of the points list.
The riding of apprentice jockey Christopher Husbands is like a rising star on the horizon.
The young apprentice booted home three more winners on the Boxing Day card but was unfortunate to loose one in the Stewards room.
He started the day by winning the first race with HOLY NAK with a very enterprising ride. He broke HOLY NAK in mid pack from the 1800 meter starting point and within the first furlong he opened a gap of 3 lengths. Going up the straight first time round he open a 5 length lead and open a further 3 lengths by the time the horses had reached the 5 furlong pole.
As he reached the 4 furlong pole he gave the young colt a breather letting the field come to within a length of him and with two and a half furlongs to go he then asked HOLY NAK for an effort and the young colt again quickened nicely to go on to win easily.
In the third race he was in a fighting finish on the J.B. 'Patsy' Springer owned colt TOBY'S DREAM against I'M A LUCK NATIVE with Ricky Walcott in the saddle. The young apprentice kept TOBY'S DREAM beautifully balanced while driving him to the wire to just snatch victory.
Unfortunately and to the absolute shock of most race fans TOBY'S DREAM was disqualified for interference at the start and to make matters even worse the young apprentice was grounded for the first four races next race day. More will surely be heard on these two decisions made by the Racecourse Stewards.
Husbands later took a fall from VICTORIA BAY in the sixth race but that did not in any way dampen his spirits and in the very next race he came up with another beauty of a ride to win on FLAG WOMAN.
Another young apprentice to win two races on the card was Rico Walcott. He won the second race on MILLIONDOLLARNOBLE and the final race on SUPER JEBS.
Anderson Trotman also scored twice as he won both feature races.
Trainers Robert Pierce and Andrew Nunes both saddled two winners.
Racing continues on Saturday, January 7th, the first day of the 2006 season.