KINGSTON, Jamaica - TRAINER Fernando Geddes saddled his 100th to realise one of his major expectations as a conditioner of racehorses.
Geddes saddled two winners on the nine-race card on Saturday, January 30 at Caymanas Park to reach the coveted landmark.
Starting the day on 99 winners, he went on to reach his 100th when co-champion jockey Dane Nelson piloted his owned and trained Lightning McQueen to victory in the second race of the programme.
Two races later Geddes added to his milestone achievement with Storm Princess, who he also owns and trains. Storm Princess was ridden by Anthony Thomas, the other holder of the current jockey co-championship.
“Today’s [Saturday] achievement, though it took me 21 long years of everlasting sweat and toil to start perfecting the ABCs of conditioning the thoroughbred for racing – beginning in 1969 at the stables of trainer Valbert Marlowe. Afterwards, I moved over to the stables of maestro conditioner, Ren Gonsalves to continue my training. Now, the process is continuing and I have achieved a double on this 30th day of January 2021.
“My decision to become a trainer started off quite pleasingly with trainer Ren Gonsalves and I thought that he was one of the greatest human beings around at the time.
“They called him ‘The Magician’ and he once told me that this is no magic; it is hard work and this is how it is done. So, he started to show me how it is done to become what they termed ‘a magician’, and about three quarters of what he thought me is still out there to be produced. Why? Because I hardly get the young horses in my stables at year’s end at the yearling sale. No one ever purchases a yearling for me at this time.
“I am always wishing to have that chance. I won the 2000 Guineas with Explosive Star for the Wonderland Syndicate.
“They had said that they wanted to win the Derby, so I said ‘Let us buy a three-year-old,’ and we bought Explosive Star and we won the Guineas. There was some jockey mix-up with jockey changes and so on and we never go the chance to go further,” Geddes told this publication.
Geddes, who was a jockey before taking on the job of conditioning horses, added that he was elated to win a double on a single race day.
“I have always wanted to take a double, and my two powerhouses Lightning McQueen and Storm Princess made me achieve that particular goal. I always wanted to put out these two horses on the same day. The last time we tried to do it, it never worked out for us and that was a great loss. So, we looked back and saw these two races for today’s date [Saturday, January 30] and we were delighted. I said to myself, I am going back at it once again to see whether a double could be achieved.
“I prayed every day and I can tell you, prayers beat all and this [the double] is the positive result of the work that I put through – and I give thanks for the day’s achievement.
“This is a day I will never forget as this is just a quarter of what I have learnt from The Magician Mr Ren Gonsalves, and I take off my hat to him for all that I have achieved in racing.
“I am still on my way going forward as Rome was not built in a day. So, within the ups and downs of life, I am grateful for the achievement of my 100th win after 21 years, and the hope is to continue to reach other milestones with much better assistance and with profound application,” Geddes said.
