photo: Singapore Turf Club
Howl (NZ) (Showcasing) showed on Sunday that the best way to ride him was still at the head of affairs.
The six-year-old has been switched to waiting tactics a few times in his 25 previous runs, but the results had not been conclusive.
Back to his favourite positive tactics in the S$50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1200m, Howl seems to grow another leg.
Even when Our Dynamite came testing him round the bend, he never surrendered the whip hand.
Regaining the lead, How kept finding under jockey Benny Woodworth’s strong urgings the whole length of the home straight to fall in by half-a-length from the fast-closing Romantic with favourite Flying Tourbillon a laudable third another half-a-length away.
The winning time was 1min 9.97secs for the 1200m on the Short Course.
Winning trainer Daniel Meagher said that Howl has been a genuine performer throughout his three seasons with him, having now rung up five wins and five placings from 26 starts for stakes earnings under the S$170,000 mark for Mr Lee Wan How.
“He’s a genuine horse. We’ve tried different ways to ride him but it looks like the best way is to let him find his own way in front,” said the Australian handler.
“He likes it when he is on the fence and there is speed in front. I’ve got a lot of those older horses at the stables, and it’s a credit to the staff for keeping all of them going.”
Woodworth said he himself had to “howl” at his mount to find the line.
“He is a very game horse. He is small with a big heart,” said the Malaysian jockey.
“He jumped fast but the horse on the outside was faster. So we had to take a sit.
“He was not very comfortable on the rails, he was going in and out, but once I pushed him out in the straight, he ran on well.
“He did feel it in the last 50m, but I was yelling hard at him.”
Howl was purchased for just $45,000 out of the select session of the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale where he was offered by Wentwood Grange. - Singapore Turf Club
