Low-profile jockey Benny Woodworth is not normally the sort to bask in the limelight, but he had a bit more time for the cameras for his latest winner The Wind (NZ) (Gorky Park) on Sunday.
And we are not talking about him sitting up and smiling at the camera from a long way out aboard his 5 ¾-length winner in the$65,000 Initiation race over 1400m. The Malaysian jockey was never in trouble the moment he took the $11 favourite to the lead, getting away with cheap sectionals for an armchair ride all the way to the line.
Woodworth, who usually just heads straight to the weigh-in scale and the jockeys' room after he hops off a winner, was all smiles as he took time to pose for the photographers with the winning owner, Mr and Mrs Teo Peng Seng who own one of Singapore's oldest outfits, the Trend Stable.
"Mr Teo has been a good supporter of mine from Day 1. He gave me either my first or second winner as an apprentice jockey," said the 42-year-old hoop.
"This is a horse I've been riding for them and we came close at his last start (second to Royal Easter). It's great we finally got him to win his maiden race.
"With his natural gate speed, I had not problem leading and nothing came to bother us from behind. At the top of the straight, I knew we were home.
"I just looked at the giant screen to make sure there was nothing running on late. He won easily."
Winning trainer Leslie Khoo said he would have been disappointed with anything less than a win from the Gorky Park three-year-old, whom he bought himself as a yearling, but not quite the spanking he gave his seven rivals.
"He was fit and well but I really didn't expect him to win by such a big margin," said the Singaporean handler.
"He's a horse I bought myself as a yearling. He is by a sire I've never heard before but I liked the way he looked and was prepared to take a chance on him and paid only $5,000 for him.
"He showed a lot of speed in his work but he only really improved when the blinkers came on.
"It's great for the owner Mr Teo who has supported me for a long time now, even during the time I was a jockey. He won the Gold Cup with Trend Defy who was ridden by the late A John." -STC
And we are not talking about him sitting up and smiling at the camera from a long way out aboard his 5 ¾-length winner in the$65,000 Initiation race over 1400m. The Malaysian jockey was never in trouble the moment he took the $11 favourite to the lead, getting away with cheap sectionals for an armchair ride all the way to the line.
Woodworth, who usually just heads straight to the weigh-in scale and the jockeys' room after he hops off a winner, was all smiles as he took time to pose for the photographers with the winning owner, Mr and Mrs Teo Peng Seng who own one of Singapore's oldest outfits, the Trend Stable.
"Mr Teo has been a good supporter of mine from Day 1. He gave me either my first or second winner as an apprentice jockey," said the 42-year-old hoop.
"This is a horse I've been riding for them and we came close at his last start (second to Royal Easter). It's great we finally got him to win his maiden race.
"With his natural gate speed, I had not problem leading and nothing came to bother us from behind. At the top of the straight, I knew we were home.
"I just looked at the giant screen to make sure there was nothing running on late. He won easily."
Winning trainer Leslie Khoo said he would have been disappointed with anything less than a win from the Gorky Park three-year-old, whom he bought himself as a yearling, but not quite the spanking he gave his seven rivals.
"He was fit and well but I really didn't expect him to win by such a big margin," said the Singaporean handler.
"He's a horse I bought myself as a yearling. He is by a sire I've never heard before but I liked the way he looked and was prepared to take a chance on him and paid only $5,000 for him.
"He showed a lot of speed in his work but he only really improved when the blinkers came on.
"It's great for the owner Mr Teo who has supported me for a long time now, even during the time I was a jockey. He won the Gold Cup with Trend Defy who was ridden by the late A John." -STC