With Singapore’s current leading apprentice jockey Troy See unable to represent Team Asia for the Premier Gateway International Jockeys Challenge on 25 September, 2018 due to suspension, the Singapore Turf Club has designated Kranji-based Malaysian jockey Benny Woodworth as his replacement.

See incurred a four-day suspension from Sep 24 to Oct 7 for returning more than half-a-kilogramme underweight in a race on Sunday.

Woodworth will therefore join Joao Moreira and Vlad Duric as the third member on Team Asia.

BENNY WOODWORTH

Woodworth, 45, is a former four-time champion apprentice jockey and one-time senior champion jockey on the Malayan Racing Association (MRA) circuit. Well-travelled, he was also Mauritius champion jockey in 2007.

First taught the rudiments of riding by his father, former amateur rider Ronald Woodworth at the Iskandar Polo Club in his native Ipoh, Woodworth soon decided he would live out the dream his father could not fulfill because of weight – become a professional jockey.

After joining champion trainer Malcolm Thwaites, Woodworth went on to become one of the most gifted jockeys of his generation. A natural lightweight, the Eurasian rider has the rare ability of switching between Australian and English riding styles with the same efficiency.

Woodworth achieved the rare distinction of winning one of the most prestigious feature races on the MRA racing calendar when still an apprentice jockey, the 1992 Singapore Derby aboard Peak Of Perfection X for Thwaites. The next year, he claimed another big race for his master, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Navajo II. More major wins have since been added to his trophy cabinet, notably the 2008 Group 1 Patron’s Bowl on Phenom, the 2006 Group 2 Singapore Derby Trial with War Horn in Singapore as well a host of such accolades across the Causeway, namely the 1995 Penang Sprint Trophy with Fischer, the 2002 Penang Gold Cup with Xtherest, not to forget three Coronation Cups on Baby Tycoon (2001), Golden Ace (2006) and Kiko’s Return (2009). He also enjoyed a prolific association with grey horse Captain Obvious with whom he won five feature races, the 2009 Malaysia Magic Millions Classic, the 2010 Penang Sprint Trophy, the 2010 Astro Wah Lai Toi Vase, the 2011 Tunku Gold Cup and the 2011 Group 3 Jumbo Jet Trophy.

He was also successful in overseas feature races, notably the 2005 Macau Gold Cup aboard Rock N Roll Kid for his former master Thwaites and the 2007 BarbéCup aboard Tabascorez in Mauritius.

But one of his best career highlights probably came last year when he snared three Group races at Kranji – the Group 1 Singapore Guineas and Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy with Forever Young, and the Group 3 El Dorado Classic with Secret Win.

Other than Singapore and Malaysia, Woodworth has taken his saddle to eight other countries namely England, Australia, Macau, Mauritius, South Korea, Japan, Cyprus and Qatar.