KINGSTON, Jamaica - Saturday September 2, 2023 marks the 3rd Running of the Winston ‘Fanna’ Griffiths O.D. Classic (GR.2). The Winston Griffiths OD Classic is for native bred 3-Y-O non-winners of a Grade 1 race, allowing a maximum field of 12, with a purse of J$3.75 million.
Hall of Famer Winston Griffiths, OD was disqualified from passing the winning post first on two occasions before registering his first official winner aboard VIREEN. Win number 1000 was aboard the mighty EROS in the Red Stripe Caribbean Sprint (GR.1) and win number 1500 was on DISTINCTLY IRISH in the Jamaica Derby (GR.1).
Winston won Jockey’s Championship on five occasions (1978,1979,1980,1981,1995) and partnered CAMPESINO for his record-setting 1663 victory to close his riding career as the winningest jockey in the English-speaking Caribbean.
In 1992 Griffiths and trainer Philip Feanny won an unprecedented five Classic races (all) in a Calendar year with CLASSIQUE and MILLIGRAM - that year’s Triple Crown winner.
It was later recognized as a world record which was extended the following year when the jockey/trainer combination continued where they had left off in 1992 by winning four of five Classic races with VESTIA and TAI FU CHIEH.
This amazing feat earned the duo a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Winston also holds the distinction of riding five Triple Crown winners (ROYAL DAD, LIU CHIE POO, MILLIGRAM, I’M SATISFIED, SIMPLY MAGIC) in all the events.
Winston Griffiths OD is currently a licensed trainer at Caymanas.
One Response
tothe writer,theres a typo in yhe spelling of the horses name,it should spell VIRENE PRONOUNCED vy-reeni