ROGER CHARLTON IS MISTY-EYED
Trainer struggles to see Genki's finest hour
ROGER CHARLTON'S 14-1 shot Genki gave him his third victory in the big sprint handicap, the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood yesterday.
But the Wiltshire trainer MIST most of the race.
The torrential rain and heavy sea haze that covered the Sussex track meant Charlton didn't have the foggiest idea what was happening on the course.
That was until Genki got home a length clear of Evens And Odds (33-1) with Knot In Wood (10-1) ¾ -length back in third.
Genki joined Charlton's two other Stewards' Cup winners Harmonic Way in 1999 and Patavellian in 2003 on the Goodwood roll of honour as Charlton matched a feat last achieved by Fred Armstrong in the early 1950s.
But Marlborough-based Charlton admitted: "I tried watching the race on the screen but really couldn't see much.
"Normally I'm very nervous but I was quite relaxed as I couldn't see his colours and didn't even see the horses until the last 50 yards.
"He was staying on when the fast horses were dropping away on the far side. It is satisfying as he's had a lot of problems."
It was left to winning jockey Steve Drowne to explain what had happened out on the course.
He said: "I was well behind at halfway. I had the ones on my side covered but when I got to the front on my side the others started to come back to me, he has picked them off.
"Today he was sharp out but we must have been 10 to 15 lengths behind those on the far side at halfway. He has done well to pick them up."
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