Robbie Griffiths breaks Group One hoodoo
Robbie Griffiths thought he was destined to forever be the butt of a trivia question: which top 10 trainer has never trained a Group One winner.
The Quarterback’s win in Saturday’s $1.25 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington finally ended Griffiths’ 25-year Group One hoodoo.
Part-owner and long-time stable supporter Craig Pearce was wiping away tears and feeling overwhelmed, elated, relieved and excited after his, and Griffiths’, first Group One win.
“This is for Robbie Griffiths, more than it is for anybody,” Pearce said.
“To be part of winning Robbie Griffiths’ first Group One is just the most amazing feeling of all time.”
“It’s about him – it’s about Robbie.”
For Griffiths it was a dream come true after being a top 10 Victorian trainer for a number of seasons.
“We’ve been a top 10 stable for so long and we haven’t had the luck on the big days.
“We’ve been so close on so many occasions.
“I thought I was going to be a quiz board question forever.”
Jockey Craig Newitt had simple instructions before the race: `follow the grey horse and if you get past you’ll win’.
That grey horse was Chautauqua, Australia’s equal-highest ranked sprinter last year.
That it was The Quarterback who broke Griffiths’ Group One drought made it even more special, given the team behind it.
The Cranbourne trainer recalled he was not long out of hospital when the group of mates bought The Quarterback for $120,000 as a yearling.
“(Bloodstock agent) Peter Ford said `you’ve got to buy this horse, he’s a really good horse’.
“Rick Jamieson bred the horse and I used to train for Rick and he was so rapt that I could buy him.
“Of all horses to do it for the stable, it’s just sensational.”