PHOTOGRAPH BY JUNIOR FRANKLYN
ZOUK WITH JOCKEY PAUL LEACOCK CROUCHED EXPERTLY IN THE
SADDLE ON HER WAY TO WIN HER SECOND CONSECUTIVE STAKES RACE,
THE ELLIOTT WILLIAMS MEMORIAL JUVENILE BREEDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
STAKES & TROPHY (GR. 1R - BAR) IN IMPRESSIVE FASHION AND BEATING
HER CLOSEST RIVAL POETIC JUSTICE BY 61/4 LENGHTS
ZOUK AND KABUL CANTER TO VICTORY
BY CHARLIE HEATH
The two feature races run on the Second Day of the Third Racing Season Saturday, November 26th 2005 at the Garrison were both won with very impressive performances.
The first of the feature races on the card was the Elliott Williams Memorial Juvenile Breeders' Stakes & Trophy (GR.1R - BAR), for Barbados bred 2-year-olds over 1100 metres (51/2 firlongs).
When starter Mark Batson sent the eight horse field on their way it was ALPORT on the rail that broke first followed by POETIC JUSTICE with VAN HESING and ZOUK in close contention.
With only a furlong and a half of the race run ZOUK could be seen pulling jockey Paul Leacock to the front and by the time they reached the three furlong marker the daughter of Carpe Diem (Nosferatu) out of Jazz Girl (by Boomerang) was two lengths clear of the Victor Cheesman trained colt VAN HELSING owned by Philip Moseley and John Poynton with Renaldo Cumberbatch in the saddle and POETIC JUSTICE.
From two furlongs out it could be clearly seen that it was a one horse race as the Richard Edwards owned Naz Issa trained ZOUK was extending her lead with every stride. She passed the post first 6 1/4 lengths clear of VAN HELSING. SCOTLAND THE BRAVE came from a long way back to be third as did MIDNIGHT BELLE who finished fourth.
In the Sagicor Life Breeders' Classic Stakes & Trophy (GR.1R - BAR) for Barbados bred 3-year-olds and over going 1800 meters (9 furlongs) it was the Farway Stables owned KABUL with Paul Leacock in the saddle that broke smartly followed by CAPTAIN PJ, WILD STYLE and SWADE.
Passing the stands for the first time with just over six furlongs to go KABUL held a half length lead on CAPTAIN PJ and it looked like these two were going to be locked in a battle for the lead. However the Clayton Greenidge trained KABUL was relentless and with each furlong he kept stretching his lead. As the field turned into the straight for the final run home KABUL the son of Surya Bhagwan (Mercedes Won) out of Lu's In Love (by Great Bliss) was all on his own and ran out an easy winner from DON ANGLESONNY owned by Lord Michael Taylor and trained by William Clarke. CAPTAIN PJ finished finished third and FLAG WOMAN fourth, however following a Steward Inquiry into the running of the race CAPTAIN PJ was disqualified and placed fourth and FLAG WOMAN was promoted to third.
The win pushed Kabul's earnings over $300,000 mark.
Trainer E. Clayton Greenidge seems to be like good wine which gets better with age as he had KABUL tuned to perfection for this race.
Greenidge had also earlier in the day saddled ATUL the winner of the sixth race.
Trainer Victor Cheesman continues to impress as a trainer. He saddled the winner of the first race, MORETHANAWOMAN and repeated in race seven with DIXIE BRASSBOWL.
Paul Leacock took the honours among the jockeys winning both feature races with ZOUK and KABUL and he also won on ATUL in race six.
Anderson Trotman rode two winners He won the first race on MORETHANAWOMAN and race four with FIRST CLASS TICKET.
Racing continues next Saturday, December 3 with the feature races being The Diamonds International Edward Piguet Youth Male Challenged Stakes & Trophy for 2-year-olds (colts & geldings only) and The Diamonds International Jules Audemars Youth Female Challenged Stakes & Trophy for 2-year-olds (fillies only).