PHOTOGRAPH BY EDDIE BELLE
TOP LADY SPRINTING HOME TO ANOTHER VICTORY IN THE DIAMONDS
INTERNATIONAL JULES AUDEMARS YOUTH FEMALE CHALLENGES
STAKES & TROPHY AND GIVING JOCKEY ANDERSON TROTMAN AND
TRAINER ANDREW NUNES THEIR THIRD WIN ON THE DAY
SPILLS, THRILLS AND EXCITEMENT AT THE GARRISON
ON DIAMONDS INTERNATIONAL/AUDEMARS PIGUET RACEDAY
BY CHARLIE HEATH
It was spills, thrills and excitement at the Garrison on Saturday December 3, 2005, the Third Day of the Barbados Turf Club's Third Racing Season.
The spills started from as early as the first race when brothers Paul and Jason Leacock fell from their mounts EARLY FLIGHT and MEXICAN DUKE respectively.
The Leacock brothers fell as the horses attempted to take the paddock bend in the 1570 metre (7.8 furlongs) event for West Indian bred 3-year-olds and over maidens.
Neither of the two jockeys suffered serious injury, however they took no further part in the day's racing but they have been cleared to ride at exercise on Monday December 5, 2005.
Many race fans attending races on Saturday were commenting on the changes to the race day turf track due to the the amount of sand that has recently been applied to the track.
During the past racedays workers were seen adding buckets of sand to the track between races.
The feature events on Saturday's card was the third and fourth races of the Diamonds International/Audemars Piguet five race series of races.
The first of those features to be run off was the Diamonds International Edward Piguet Youth Male Challenge Stakes & Trophy for West Indian bred 2-year-olds (colts & geldings only) going 1100 metres (5½ furlongs).
First out of the gates was Lord Michael Taylor's bay colt, CHARLES-HENRY who made the early running but eventually faded giving way to the Philip Moseley and John Poyton owned bay colt, VAN HELSING trained by Victor Cheesman and ridden by Renaldo Cumberbatch.
VAN HELSING had finished second to the Richard Edwards owned MR. PRICE trained by Robert Peirce in the first of the Diamonds International/Audemars Piguet races. This time around MR. PRICE with Anderson Trotman in the saddle had to settle for second behind VAN HELSING.
There was a very exciting battle between FIRST EDITION and VICTORIA BAY for the third and fourth place but in the end not even the photo-finish camera could separate the two as they deadheaded for third.
The Diamonds International Jules Audemars Youth Female Challenge Stakes & Trophy, for West Indian bred 2-year-olds (fillies only) going 1100 meters (5½ furlongs) was the co-feature and it was all TOP LADY owned by Elias Haloute and Sir Charles Williams, trained by Andrew Nunes and ridden by Anderson Trotman. WHAT A SPLASH owned by the Aysha Syndicate trained by female trainer Elizabeth 'Liz' Deane and ridden by Richard Lunan was second with POETIC JUSTICE finishing third and SCOTLAND THE BRAVE fourth.
The top class (A1 - D2) horses went 1800 metres (9 furlongs) in the Millenary Maserati Handicap.
Gay Smith's SHARP IMPACT tried to make all the running closely followed by FEET ON FLAMES with PEACE ANGEL and BIRDIE POINT just off the pace.
The positions remained almost unchanged until the two furlong marker when FEET ON FLAMES and BIRDIE POINT passed a fading SHAP IMPACT with NOBLE IMPORT in hot pursuit.
However, it was BIRDIE POINT who was going the best of the lot as they turned for home and he went on to an easy victory from FEET ON FLAMES to give trainer E. Clayton Greenidge a one-two finish in the race.
NOBLE IMPORT ran on to be third with PEACE ANGEL finishing fourth.
It was a thrilling day for jockey Anderson Trotman and trainer Andrew Nunes as the pair teamed up to win four races on the eight race card.
Young apprentice jockey Rico Walcott should be pleased with his performance as he had a double winning race five on SWEET DREAMS and race six on DIXIE BRASSBOWL.
Victor Cheesman continues to impress as a trainer and although only having a small stable he was again able to saddle two winners including the co-feature Diamonds International Edward Piguet Youth Male Challenge Stakes & Trophy which he won with VAN HELSING.
Racing continues on Saturday, December 17, 2005 with The Barbados Turf Club's hosting its Centenary Celebration Raceday.