French leave for Benny now
Jockey Woodworth does another overseas pit stop after Dubai stint, this time in France
Well-travelled jockey Benny Woodworth will tonight add a 13th country to his passport of those he has ridden in – France.
The Malaysian has cut his Dubai stint short, essentially due to poor support, but gave himself another busman’s holiday before returning to Singapore to commence his one-year Kranji licence.
He makes his French debut at Saint-Cloud, Paris tonight.
Woodworth began his Dubai adventure – which came while holidaying there through a chance meeting with the Mike de Kock yard – with a promising nose-second aboard Magical Land at his second ride, but bowed out on March 5 without any winners for a record of three placings in 26 rides.
“I was supposed to ride till the Dubai World Cup meeting (next Saturday), but I decided to come back home earlier. There were no rides,” he said.
“My wife and I then thought about a trip to Paris. I asked Marc Lerner if his father Carlos and brother Yann could give me rides.
“I was so happy I could get a short visitor’s licence until I leave on March 26. I’m very grateful to the Lerners for putting me on one horse at Saint-Cloud tomorrow (tonight).
“I’ve been riding trackwork at their Maisons-Laffitte stables. It’s very cold and wet every morning.”
Woodworth, 48, is booked to ride Argentin, a maiden, in the Prix d’Estimauville (2,100m), a handicap slated to go to post at 4.25pm (11.25pm Singapore time).
The 3-0-0-0 formline is not flashy, but he is just grateful for the chance to ride at one of the few countries left on his bucket list.
“My ride is just an outsider, but it’s already great that I was given a chance to ride in France at the start of the season,” said Woodworth.
Besides Singapore, Dubai and his native Malaysia, he has plied his trade in England, Australia, Macau, South Korea, Japan, Cyprus, China, Qatar and Mauritius, his second home given his wife Andrianna is Mauritian-born.
“I think this could be my only ride as I fly back to Dubai next week and will be back in Singapore on March 28.”
He is certainly looking forward to his homecoming.
“I’ll have to clear my medical first and hopefully, I can start riding in early April,” said Woodworth, who last rode at Kranji early last year before he took up a Mauritius contract.
Unfortunately, it was interrupted for four months through an injury in a horrific race fall that cost the life of former Kranji-based Mauritian jockey Nooresh Juglall.
“It’s been a while since I last rode here. I’ll just have to work hard.
“For now, I’ll just enjoy those holidays in France with my wife and my two boys Nyaan and Nygel. It’s quite cold, but it’s a beautiful country, and it also helps that my wife has many friends who live here.”
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