Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
A KING IS BORN (Winston Griffiths) after his impressive victory in the Chairman's Trophy feature over 1500 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. It was win No. 18 in his illustrious career.- CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
THE 'HORSE of the Year' in 2003, A KING IS BORN, underlined his claims as one of the best thoroughbreds to grace the Caymanas turf when he
turned in an impressive weight-
carrying performance to win the Chairman's Trophy (graded stakes) feature over 1500 metres for top-class horses yesterday.
Installed an 8-5 second favourite with customary pilot, leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths riding for champion trainer Philip Feanny and popular owner Howard Hamilton, A KING IS BORN came through approaching the distance to win by 1 1/4 lengths from long-time leader CLOCK WORK (6-1), covering the distance in near track record time of 1:29.4, behind exciting splits of 22.3, 45.2 and 1:10.2 for the first 1200 metres.
Indeed, his running time was only two-fifths of a second outside the long-standing track record held by the grey SKY TRAIN since May 7, 1983. In the 22 years since SKY TRAIN set the record, this was the third fastest time recorded for the distance.
COMFORTABLE LEAD
Of note is the fact that SKY TRAIN carried the postage
stamp impost of 44kg with then lightweight apprentice Everton Miller aboard. Yesterday, A KING IS BORN shouldered the crushing impost of 59kg.
Bred by Ken Gooden, the illustrious five-year-old horse
by Royal Minister out of the
1990 Guineas and Derby winner Distinctly Native, raced easily in second position as the fleet-footed American colt CLOCK WORK was allowed to lead comfortably in the nine-strong field.
COURT CASE (9-1) raced close up in third, followed by a gap to THE MINISTER in fourth with the even-money favourite and reigning 'Horse of the Year' DISTINCTLY IRISH, a stable-companion and half brother to A KING IS BORN, outpaced in sixth position passing the half mile.
CLOCK WORK turned for home with A KING IS BORN snapping at his heels. And then the big horse went into overdrive.
He mounted a smooth challenge on the outside from early in the straight, disposed of the lightly-weighted CLOCK WORK early in the last furlong and only had to be shown the fanning right-hand stick by 'Fanna' Griffiths to win convincingly.
The Wayne DaCosta-trained CLOCK WORK, who had won five of his six previous races, was brave in defeat and with this performance stamped himself as a top-class horse, while the consistent COURT CASE kept on well up the lane (rails) to finish a commendable third, just ahead of the late closing ROYAL RUN (9-2).
DISTINCTLY IRISH, who a fortnight earlier finished like a train to catch A KING IS BORN close home in the $1.25 million Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes over 1300 metres, failed to click on this occasion and ended up 4 1/2 lengths fifth.
Feanny said he was "dissatisfied" with the running of DISTINCTLY IRISH and had to find out what went wrong. However, he was full of praise for A KING IS BORN, who he said "used his speed up the lane on this occasion" to maximum effect.
This was his 18th career win from 23 starts and he duly pushed his lifetime earnings past the $10 million mark - up to $10.1 million.
Feanny, who is more than $5 million adrift of leading trainer Wayne DaCosta on $16.5 million, had a second winner on the 10-race programme in 1-5 favourite RIZZI LEE (Wesley Henry up) who made all in the opening race over a mile for $330,000 - $290,000 claimers.
OVERALL HONOURS
In-form Trinidadian jockey Brian Harding took the overall honours with three winners, his second three-timer in as many race days, having ridden three last Wednesday.
His winners were MYSON
at 3-5 in the second race for maiden three-year-olds, QUEEN TAMARA at 2-5 in the fourth for maiden two-year-olds ESTOY LISTO at 1-2 in the sixth race for three-year-olds (non winners of two). Significantly, all three were saddled by in-form trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes and were odds-on favourites as well.
As a result of his latest windfall, Harding has pushed his season's tally to 32 five adrift of reigning champion Trevor Simpson who sat out day four of a five-day suspension yesterday.
Harding indicated that he will continue to ride locally until the end of the year. As to his championship aspirations, the seven-time Trinidadian champion was non-committal: "That's not on my mind right now," he said.
