FEET ON FLAMES

1/28/06 - FLEET FOOTED!
Published on: 1/29/06.
Nation News, Barbados
by TYRONE EVELYN

FEET ON FLAMES IN THE WINNERS ENCLOUSURE AFTER WINNING HIS SECOND CONSECUTIVE G1 RACE IN THE COOLMORE HOME OF CHAMPIONS" STAKES & TROPHY (GR.1 - BAR) WITH OWNER MR. LUTHER MILLER III J.P. (right) AND FROM LEFT TRAINER E. C. GREENIDGE; MOHOMMED MOHAMAD (friend of the connections) AND MRS. SUZANNE MILLER WIFE OF MR. LUTHER MILLER II J.P.

FEET ON FLAMES put his entire body and soul into an awesome performance which saw him winning the Coolmore "House Of Champions" Stakes and Trophy, one of two feature races at the Garrison yesterday

Feet On Flames' scintillating run in the Coolmore, the final warm-up for next month's Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, left his supporters breathless as he proved once again to those doubting Thomases that he is the Garrison bully.

Feet On Flames, normally a front-runner, was tucked comfortably into third position by champion jockey Anderson Trotman behind the Gay Smith-owned pair of Zarad and Sharp Impact when the horses passed the stands the first time. The pace-setting Zarad stopped as if he had ran into a brick wall as Feet On Flames flew past him and his back-pedalling stablemate Sharp Impact as if they were standing.

Feet On Flames brought the field into the home stretch and he was pursued by Inluck, the only horse to offer a challenge in the straight. However, despite giving Inluck 15 pounds, Feet On Flames ran on too strongly for the Ricky Walcott-ridden four-year-old.__________________________________________

FEET ON FLAMES TURNS IN CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE

TO WIN THE XXIV SANDY LANE BARBADOS GOLD CUP

BY CHARLIE HEATH

A superb ride by jockey Anderson Trotman aboard Luther Miller III's 6-year-old bay horse FEET ON FLAMES, brought the combination victory in the XX1V Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup (GR.1. INT - BAR) on Saturday March 5, 2005 at the Garrison Savannah.

The Grade One race for 3-year-olds and upwards over 9 furlongs (1800m) was the feature race on the fifth day of the Barbados Turf Club's First Racing Season for 2005.

A huge crowd once again supported the prestigious race that was beamed to over 400 million viewers around the world.

When Starter Mark Batson pressed the button and opened the gates Trotman put the Clayton Greenidge trained FEET ON FLAMES straight to front followed by THADY QUILL and STRONG OPINION with the Canadian representative KATHIR, with Slade Callaghan in the saddle, following the leaders in fourth position.

As the horses turned to go up the back straight with just over five furlongs (1000m) to go, FEET ON FLAMES maintained his lead followed by DEPUTY PM, who had moved up into second place with KATHIR third and STRONG OPINION fourth.

With four furlongs to go Ricky Walcott aboard STRONG OPINION decided to get closer to FEET ON FLAMES, and moved the filly into second position whilst KATHIR, who was on the rail looking for racing room, and not finding it, was loosing his position.

At the three furlong pole FEET ON FLAMES was getting his first real challenge from STRONG OPINION and the two opened a gap of three lengths on the rest of the field. At this point it looked as though it was going to be a straight fight between these two to the wire, but that was not to be as FEET ON FLAMES put in another gear when Trotman asked him for this final effort as the horses straightened up with just a furlong to go.

FEET ON FLAMES went on to win by three and a quarter lengths in convincing style with his ears pricked.

The Canadian runner KATHIR, trained by Anthony Reinstedler and owned by Eugene and Laura Melnyk ran on to be second.

Lord Michael Taylor's STORM HUNTER trained by William (Bill) Marshall DFC SCM and ridden by Anderson Ward came from a long way back to be third whilst the EM&M - owned STRONG OPINION trained by Naz Issa, faded into fourth place.

The win gave Owner Luther Miller III; jockey Anderson Trotman and trainer Clayton Greenidge their first win in a Gold Cup event.

Before the race Greenidge said his horse was not only working well but also feeling well and knowing that he is a horse that puts his heart into each and every race he contests he felt he had an outstanding chance, especially when he realized the track had a slight cut, as that is the exact type of going his horse prefers. However, he said the ease and distance by which he won was a bit surprising to him.

Owner Luther Miller III said it was an outstanding victory and gave all the credit to his trainer for bringing his horse spot on for the prestigious race and jockey Anderson Trotman for riding a superb race judging the pace to perfection.

The 28 year old jockey Anderson (Tom) Trotman was so ecstatic when crossing the finishing post that he stood straight up in the saddle punching the air. He said his horse was going so well with two and a half furlongs to go that he knew from there he would win the race.