LAST RIDE FOR PATRICK HUSBANDS THIS SATURDAY

by David Harris

Veteran jockey Patrick Husbands will bid farewell to horse racing after his ride in this year’s Sandy Lane Gold Gup at the historic Garrison Savannah on March 7th. 

Husbands, 52, has ridden over 3600 winners throughout his illustrious career; the legendary jockey became a professional jockey as a teenager in Barbados, before emigrating to Canada in 1994 and becoming one of the most successful jockeys in North America. 

Racing out of Woodbine Racetrack In 2003 his breakout year, Husbands won the Canadian Tripple Crown aboard the horse Wando. Among his other remarkable wins was riding Numerous Times to victory in the $1million 2001 Woodbine Mile; later that year, he won another million-dollar purse after capturing the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park in New York aboard Exciting Story.  

Husbands won the Sovereign Award for being the Outstanding Jockey in Canada on eight occasions. He won the Sovereign Award for a then unprecedented four successive years between 1999, and from 2007 to 2009, and for the final time in 2021. He was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2024. 

At home, Husbands created history at the age of 16 years and nine months when he became the youngest jockey to win the Gold Cup aboard Vardar in 1990. The ace jockey other victories in Barbados’ most prestigious race were astride Sharp Impact in 2006, aboard Sterwins in 2010, and on Major Marvel in 2014. 

This year, the renowned jockey is scheduled to ride Sir London, a seven-year-old gelding that is owned by the One Guyana Racing Stable, and trained by the Gulf Stream based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. 

Meanwhile five-time British champion Oistin Murphy will make his Gold Cup debut aboard Divin Propos; the six-year-old bay gelding that is also owned by One Guyana Racing Stables and is trained by Joseph. 

Twelve horses from Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana including six that have never raced in Barbados before are running in the Gold Cup. 

According to president of the Barbados Turf Club Kevin Burke, the winner of the Gold Cup will receive $170,000 (Barbados dollars) in prize money an increase of $100,000 from previous years.