‘Fanna’ Griffiths says there is a shortage of quality riders at the track
Published:Saturday | October 5, 2024 | 12:08 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
FORMER champion jockey Winston ‘Fanna’ Griffiths, says Tevin Foster and Raddesh Roman are two of a handful of top-level riders in action at Caymanas Park.
Griffiths who became the first jockey to surpass 1,000 winners at Caymanas Park back in 1993 shared that during his time there were many more top-level riders at the track.
“Right now, you can count them (top riders) on one hand. Years before you had a better crop of riders which you could pick from, but at the moment it’s just two riders who all the trainers are heading towards, simply because the other riders are not up to par. I think the riding is deteriorating and that’s my honest opinion,” he explained.
In what is expected to be a tough battle for the jockeys’ title both Roman and Foster are close to going past the 100-win mark for the season during this weekend’s two days of racing. Both are locked on 99 winners. To date, the most wins by a jockey at Caymanas Park in a season is held by Trevor ‘Slicer’ Simpson who attained 172 wins in 2002. According to Griffiths he believes that could be broken in the near future.
“I think you have more race meetings now than before so it’s likely to happen once the right jockey gets the right rides,” he added.
Griffiths who was conferred with the Order of Distinction in 1999 piloted eight consecutive classic winners in a career that lasted some 28 years. He shared that now that he is watching from the sidelines one jockey that reminds him of his old self is former three-time champion jockey Anthony Thomas who now plies his trade in Florida.
“He’s not around anymore but he gives me a slight reminder of myself in my prime. With him not around, there’s no one else,” he remarked.
Griffiths who believes the enthralling battle between Foster and Roman is good for the sport stayed away from predicting who he thinks will eventually walk away with the title.
“It’s going to go down right to the wire and whoever gets the better rides will come out on top,” he said.