Barry Silah @obel_barry

It was a masterstroke for the Marilyn Bengough stable after a late call up of Henry Muya came good as veteran Western Ballad clinched the coveted 2020 Geoffrey Griffin Trophy.

Coming in as a replacement for Daniel Tanui, Muya, who had finished in disappointing positions in the earlier two races, left it late after letting the much touted Silverstone Air take an early cruise in the 1,800m meet. 

 However at the bend, the race opened up nicely with all the top fillies finding their rhythm and space.

With the withdrawal of another favourite Clothes Horse, all eyes were on the big running Silverstone Air alongside Pharaoh’s Advocate but to full credit of Muya, he stretched the track leaders including the equally pacy Fast Five and found space to attack full length before finishing off on a high after a neat inside pass.

  An elated and emotional Muya dedicated the win to his family who were grieving.”I want to dedicate this win to my family because we lost a brother recently. 

It has been tough so this is a good consolation. 

As for the race, I worked on tactics well and took advantage of Silverstone failing to kick pace when it mattered. This is a boost for me and I want to thank my trainer for a good job,” he said.

 Meanwhile, in the 1,600m Mbaraki Pillar Maiden, an event reserved only for three-year-old fillies, enterprising Leslie Sercombe was effective and magnificent from start to finish winning the meet by a short length atop Class Action.

 The race timed at 1.43.02 was firmly poised between Patsy Sercombe and Oliver Gray Stable with the latter emerging top with Leslie Sercombe securing top spot after a fine chase especially in the final 400m with Class Action running a tidy race. 

Newcomer Earl Gray jockeyed by Henry Nuts came in last behind Wycliffe Matee’s Wesley by a distance of 27 lengths.

 In the other race at the track, the 1,600m Ondiri Swamp Handicap, the impressive Peter Kinuthia  stole the show with tactical running atop South African breed Unforgettable coming in from the middle pack off the seven runners to win by a gap of three and a quarter length off Paul Kiarie’s Risque from the Stewart McCann stable.

The final stretch of the middle distance race was epic with the trident of Marais, Risque and La Cha Cha jockeyed by Josephat Kultiang engaging in what looked like a feverish fight only for the Unforgettable to go wide and open a gap before crossing home in a meet that was timed at 1.43.03.