3 minute read
Comeback jockey John Powell has not taken long to bounce back to the winner’s circle after returning from an injury-enforced layoff on Friday night.
Sidelined for one month after he hurt his left knee during an afternoon walk on March 7, the Australian rider was meant to come back next week, but bored stiff sitting around at home, he defied doctor’s orders and rode trackwork last Friday and took his first two race rides one week later.
While his first-up ride Smiddy Byrne ran fourth in Race 2, he would not go home empty-handed when he steered Warpath ($29) to a hard-fought win in the $38,000 Kranji Stkaes D race over 1400m two events later.
Last-start winner Paltrow (Vlad Duric) was all poised to pick up back-to-back wins when she came forging ahead at the top of the straight, but Warpath who looked on the backfoot for a fleeting second, turned up the heat inside the last furlong to eventually get the upperhand and post a smart 1 ½-length win from Paltrow.
Master Banger (Chan Wei Sheng), who tried to make all, fought on gamely to finish third another 1 ½ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 23secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
“It’s been one long month away, but it sure feels good to be a winner at my first day back,” said Powell.
“Even before the fall, I had a bad run this year and hopefully this is the turnaround for me. My fitness is not too bad, and it can only get better after tonight.
“I’ve ridden this horse once but he was running in the wrong races. He can be a bit of a tricky horse to ride.
“He had an ideal run on the rails, but I took a bit of a chance by waiting for Vlad to go around and once he did, I worked my way into the clear and the horse scored a good tough win tonight.”
Winning trainer Shane Baertschiger for one was rapt his stable jockey was back in business.
“It was a great ride from JP. He’s not an easy horse to ride but JP rode him a treat,” said the Australian handler.
“Good to have him back a winner.”
A seven-year-old son of General Nediym, Warpath was only at his second win from 22 starts for the K Stable of Kathy Then and husband Jayven See for stakes earnings worth around $70,000, a mark which has yet to outscore his Australian record of close to A$200,000 as a winner of five races in New South Wales when known as War Charm.
The race itself was, however, marred by a fall in the home straight when apprentice jockey Mohd Firdaus was dislodged after his horse Know Each Other stumbled and broke down.
Firdaus, who scored in the earlier race aboard Smart Investment to extend his current lead on the Singapore apprentice jockey’s premiership, was seen sitting up but may have taken a knock from an oncoming horse and was taken to hospital conscious.
More updates on the Patrick Shaw apprentice jockey’s condition will be provided as soon as they become available.