Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
THE BOMBER, with veteran jockey Winston Griffiths aboard, eases down after winning the $4.25 million Digicel Jamaica Derby over 2400 metres at Caymanas Park yesterday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
THE BOMBER, ridden by leading all-time jockey and 'Hall of Famer' Winston 'Fanna' Griffiths, O.D., floored the odds on howling favourite RUM TALK to win the 87th running of the $4.25 million Digicel Jamaica Derby in post-to-post fashion before a massive crowd at Caymanas Park yesterday.
Owned by Rosiedoll and trained by ex-jockey Patrick Lynch, who controls a small string of horses, the lightly-raced, unbeaten bay colt by Outrigger out of Nuttin But Red, running at odds of 4-1, won by two lengths from 3-5 favourite, the 2000 Guineas winner RUM TALK, with five-time champion Trevor Simpson riding for leading classic winning trainer Philip Feanny.
Finishing third in the 2400-metre race, a farther length away, was the consistent MUCHO GUSTO at 3-1 under co-leading rider Paul 'Country' Francis, ahead of stable companion and Lotto Classic (Governor's Cup) winner IL CAIMANO (5-1) with Panamanian jockey Ameth Robles riding for trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes in a field of 10 native-bred three-year-olds.
Unbeaten in two starts coming into the Derby, THE BOMBER, having made his debut as recent as on May 5 in a 1500-metre race for maiden three-year-olds with Griffiths aboard, confounded his critics who argued that his lack of experience would play against him, by making every yard of the running.
He was chased by NATURALLY ROYAL, with Richie Mitchell astride, IVAN THE TERRIBLE, under four-time champion jockey Emilio 'Bimbo' Rodriquez, CHIPONYOURSHOULDER and MUCHO GUSTO, with RUM TALK and IL CAIMANO outpaced in the early stages.
Griffiths always had an uncontested lead with THE BOMBER and when he opened up a six-length over NATURALLY ROYAL leaving the half mile and with RUM TALK nowhere in sight, the race was all but over. He turned for home with a commanding lead and under a fanning right-hand stick from Griffiths kept on strongly for an emphatic victory ahead of the fast-finishing RUM TALK with MUCHO GUSTO third.
Classic winner
Griffiths duly chalked up his 42nd classic winner (a world record) and his 11th in the Derby in a career spanning 32 years. But this was special.
"I am very happy that The Bomber has given me another classic winner. He's a nice horse and I fancied his chances having ridden him to victory in his two previous races," said Griffiths.
"To me he was just as good as any of the top horses in the race and he proved that in no uncertain fashion today. The pace suited me fine today and I just capitalised on the situation", said the 49-year-old jockey.
The Bomber is bred by Cheryl and Kristi Marsh and groomed by Carl Taylor.
On a day when in-form jockey Oneil Mullings rode three winners from the 13 races run, the fleet-footed American horse CLOCK WORK, ridden by Dane Nelson for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, made all impressively at odds of 11-1 to win the seventh running of the $1.3 million Digicel Irish Jamaican Stakes over 1300 metres for top-class horses.
The Feanny-trained even-money favourite BLUE MAGIC (Simpson up) was awarded first place in the valuable Facey Commodity Sprint over 1200 metres following the disqualification of 9-2 chance SKYWAY EXPRESS, with apprentice André Martin riding for DaCosta.
