The fifth staging of the $3.75 million Winston “Fanna” Griffiths was the main attraction on the programme of nine races and run as race eight.
This event, with eligibility restricted to non-winners of Classics, is run over the ideal distance of nine and a half furlongs, and a field of 12 came under starter’s orders for the test of speed, stamina and courage on the circular course.
Favourite at 7/5, Pretty Perfect, was declared with a visor for this, the seventh race of a career that debuted only on April 25.
Remarkably, she was two lengths second to Linguist in the Jamaica Oaks. Then four days later two and a half lengths third to I Dream Again in the Jamaica Derby. Saddled by Gary Subratie, the little filly, blessed with exceptional depths of stamina, achieved a rare feat running from well off the pace in contesting a total of 31 ½ furlongs in 35 days.
Ridden by 2022 champion Dane Dawkins, who revealed in his post-race interview that the headgear was fitted to get her to race more competitively during the early pace.
This race was timed immaculately by Dawkins to better Derby fourth Alchemy of Souls (Clive Lynch) by a half a length with frontrunner and Woman In Love (Raddesh Roman), second in the Jamaica Oaks, a length further away for third place.
For the opener of a double, Dawkins rode US-bred Train of Thought for trainer Steven Todd the 12/1 five length winner of race five run at seven and a half furlongs.
The day’s opening event went to Newland Links (3-1) saddled by Barrington Bernard and ridden by claimer Garvin Harris for a three-length victory margin over the five furlongs round course.
Thirty-five minutes later, race two, with Shane Richardson riding for trainer Carlton Cunningham, was won by Adira (1-2), with her superior form proving to be 10½ lengths better than her nearest rival at the end of the five-and-a-half-furlong contest.
Just over an hour later, there was another wide-margin winner in the form of Storm (1-2) over the seven and a half furlongs of race four. Ridden by champion and 2026 designate Raddesh Roman for trainer Adrian Prince, Storm won by 17¼ lengths to complete a hat-trick, including a 14½ runaway on May 25 before winning on August 01 this year. This horse ran for a tag of $700,000 in all three races at a significantly advantageous scale of weights, which should not be allowable.
Race three had a surprising result with Military Light (17-1), the outsider of five, entered by Gary Griffiths with claimer Tyrese Anderson declared for the five-and-a-half-furlong gallop, producing a winning late run to defeat frontrunner Sugar Daddy (8-5) by just over one length. Anderson secured his first riding double of the season with race seven, over the straight, going to 6-5 favourite Perfect Affair, a winner by a length and a quarter in a race restricted to three-year-old fillies with less than two career wins.
Race seven, run over the straight course for three-year-old maiden fillies, Althia (6-5) won by five lengths for trainer Gordon Lewis and jockey Chalrick Budhai's firsts of the season from 34 and 26 starts and mounts respectively.
In the nightcap, it was vintage, veteran reinsman Paul Francis aboard Phillip Feanny’s 2-1 bet Fearless Force (USA), bettering Roman on 3-5 favourite Bootylicious. After an enthralling battle, there was only a margin of a neck in favour of the winner.
