GET TO KNOW TRAINER EVERAL FRANCIS

Praises Laurie Silvera for his development

KINGSTON: Trainer Everal Francis has been a part of the racing industry for many years. In this interview, Francis traces his involvement in racing, from his teen years to the present time.

QUESTIONS (Q)

EVERAL FRANCIS: EF

Q: How did you get into racing to eventually etch your mark on the Sport of Kings?

EF: I am a lover of horses since I was a small boy. It was fun to ride donkeys, mules, and old horses while growing up in the country, and while growing up, I said to myself that I would one day get into racing. After my father died when I was 11 years old, I left the country in Clarendon, came to Kingston and I wanted to turn a jockey. I was with trainer Laurie Silvera from the age of 13, and he was the one who taught me how to ride. One morning we were going to the track and I was riding a horse from down in the bush coming to the track at Morris Park; I was then an apprentice jockey learning the ropes. Winston “Mero” Ellis and I were supposed to be riding at the same time and the horse Top Notch galloped away with me in the saddle and I went on to pull up the horse. Around that time, my trainer, Silvera, would ride a horse behind us. When he caught up with me, he told me that he will no longer apprentice me because I am too strong and I will pull up his horses in a race. I then turned my attention to grooming. In growing up, I did not love anyone the way I love the Silveras. The mother held classes for me and it was her who finished me up to have a little education in that I was then able to sign my name and read anything written in the English language. When I was with Silvera he had some horses coming in from foreign; they used to buy American horses, and I had to go out to the quarantine area at the airport to stay with them for about one or two weeks. When we were back at the stables, Silvera looked at me and said, ‘Eva, it is only one horse you can get because the others are already allotted out’. So, I took one by the name of Coast Guard, and there was another filly whose name was Eight Thirty: no man wanted that one. But when I had done schooling Eight Thirty, and she started to beat up everybody, including Salmon Spray, the trainer turned around and sold the horse.

It was from there that I started to blossom in the grooming of horses. A fellow groom died and I got another horse by the name of Halloween. The first mile and three-furlong race run at Caymanas Park, it was I who groomed the winner of that race, Halloween trained by Laurie Silvera. Not yet done, Halloween came back and won another seven-furlong race, with jockey Andrew Ramgeet in the saddle.

Following the horse’s success, I bought a bike, and the trainer took the horse away from under my care. I then kept boxing around until Frank Watson had a horse by the name of Marsheima. If my memory serves me right, that horse was an English-bred galloper. The horse was there doing very little to write home about until coming under my care.

Shortly afterward the horse changed up and was ready to win, but it was never allowed to show more than a promise before going out of circulation. Owner Watson eventually packed up his local operations and then migrated. I then moved over to Paul Newman, and it was there that I came into my own to be distinguished as a capable assistant trainer, for a period of five fruitful years. While at the Newman Stables as his assistant trainer, I was asked by Newman not to apply for a trainer’s licence just yet. The reason behind that move was some stables were earmarked to be built in an area where some almond trees were standing and with such a proposal in mind, I complied and delayed in getting a trainer’s licence.

Paul Newman eventually got sick and died. With the passing of Newman, trainer Joseph Thomas signed up the papers for me to enter the trainer’s school. It was about two weeks later that I entered classes in 1985 and graduated the following year in 1986.

Q: On graduation, which horse did you saddle to present you with your first win?

EF:  That horse was You Fiddle Ok. During this period, it was off the compound that I operated until colleague trainer Gresford Smith gave me a few stalls.

Q: Which is the best horse you have trained?

EF:  Commanding Chief. I won five straight races before he was defeated and that defeat was by a nose from Mark My Word. As a groom, I won 12 races with Count Down. Six after he was beaten by Holy Cat in his first race. He then developed an injury to his hooves and was sidelined for about a year to give his split hooves time to heal. On his return from injury, following rehabilitating at the seaside, which made the split hoof heal, he won another six races, this time, without interruption.

Q: Which is the best horse, or best horses, you have seen race at Caymanas Park?

EF: For me, going long Bonnie Blue Flag and for sprinting, Ettu.

Q: Who would you rate as the best trainer at Caymanas Park?

EF: To me that will go to Laurie Silvera without question.

Q: Which is the best horse you have groomed?

EF: Easy answer, Harlequin.