By Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer 
DISTINCTLY IRISH, ridden by five-time champion jockey Winston Griffiths for trainer Philip Feanny, powers home well clear of his rivals in the Track Price Plus 2000 Guineas over a mile at Caymanas Park yesterday. Owned by Hamark Farms, the 3-y-o gelding by Irish Quest out of Distinctly Native is unbeaten in five starts. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
LATONIA AND DISTINCTLY IRISH romped home in the season's first classics, the Track Price Plus 1000 and 2000 Guineas respectively at Caymanas Park yesterday, the unbeaten DISTINCTLY IRISH looking every inch a Triple Crown winner with an awesome display in the colts' classic.
Ridden by leading all-time jockey Winston Griffiths for owner Hamark Farms (Howard Hamilton) and 13-time champion trainer Philip Feanny, DISTINCTLY IRISH, the 1-9 favourite, skittered away from rivals on entering the straight to win by all of 9 3/4 lengths from GOOD TO GO (7-1) under Florida-based Allen Maragh, CRUISING ALTITUDE (28-1), the mount of leading jockey Shane Ellis, and the 5-1 second favourite BATTLEOX with four-time champion jockey Charles Hussey aboard.
The race was contested by 11 native bred three-year-old colts and geldings over 1600 metres.
Not the best away from the No. 1 post position, DISTINCTLY IRISH mended nicely on the rails to dispute the lead with BATTLEOX after the first 400m. Both were closely followed by the rank outsider RUN PAPA RUN and SUPREMELYSATISFIED.
DISTINCTLY IRISH eventually disposed of BATTLEOX approaching the 600-metre point and turned for home two lengths clear of the Richard Azan-trained colt with RUN PAPA RUN close up in third at this stage.
Thereafter, DISTINCTLY IRISH was merely racing the clock as he lengthened his strides in effortless fashion to win by the proverbial city block, clocking the smart time of 1:39.2 (24.2, 47.3 and 1:14.3) in the process.
DISTINCTLY IRISH thus emulated the feat of his half brother, A KING IS BORN, who won this race last year and was subsequently voted 'Horse of the Year'. Significantly, A KING IS BORN was not only ridden to victory by Griffiths for Hamilton and Feanny, but was bred by Ken Gooden as well.
Unbeaten in five starts, DISTINCTLY IRISH is a bay gelding by Irish Quest out of the 1990 Guineas and Derby winner Distinctly Native.
40TH CLASSIC WINNER
Griffiths, who notched his 40th classic winner and his 1,495th career win in a long and distinguished career, said he was always confident of winning and wasn't in the least perturbed when BATTLEOX took him on from early.
"I just needed the company for a while and knew that when I asked my horse to run leaving the half mile it would be over. Distinctly Irish is an exceptional three-year-old and I think he will win the Triple Crown if he stays healthy," said the five-time champion jockey.
Earlier, the 3-5 favourite LATONIA (Shane Ellis up) came through 600-metre out to win the 1000 Guineas for fillies by 4 3/4 lengths from 4-1 shot SLEW DANCER (Maragh up) with third going to 10-1 shot FLYWITHME, the mount of champion jockey Trevor Simpson.
Hussey's mount SEGA was declared a late non-starter reducing the field to 10.
Prominently placed from early as LADY LAMMTARRA (18-1) made most, LATONIA came through as a team with the 5-2 second favourite SEATTLE SUE (Griffiths up) to grab the lead passing the three.
In the straight, LATONIA moved away from SEATTLE SUE for an emphatic victory, giving trainer Anthony 'Baba' Nunes and Barbadian owner Elias Haloute their first success in the 1000 Guineas.
Ellis, who rode four winners on the card to end the day on 24, had previously won the fillies Guineas with 14-1 outsider RAY OF HOPE who was trained by the brother of the winning trainer, Andrew Nunes. LATONIA, who covered the distance in a time of 1:41.3 is on course for the April 24 Courts Jamaica Oaks over 2000 metres.
Feanny, meanwhile, shared the honours with Ellis in posting four winners on the 12-race card, including the Maragh-ridden HERECOMESFUDGIE (3-2) in the Legal Light Trophy over the circular nine course.
