Trainer Daniel Meagher is starting to make his mark at Kranji as a steady flow of winners keep swelling up his score on a regular basis, and Life Is Gamble, his 15th winner was another stroke to his tally, but also a good reason to pay tribute to jockey Benny Woodworth and the long-standing friendship that ties the two men.
“I’ve known Benny since I came here as a young kid with my dad (ex-Kranji trainer John Meagher in 2001),” said Meagher.
“Benny has always been a good friend, and he’s been one of the jockeys along with Danny Beasley, Oscar Chavez, Saifudin Ismail who have helped me since I got my licence last year.
“I’ve put him on a few of my horses but this is the first time we’ve had a winner together. I’m so rapt for him.”
Meagher said he always thought the Eurasian rider’s style would suit Life Is Gamble, a former one-time winner for premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller.
“I’ve put Benny on this horse as I think his style suits him,” he said.
“The race panned out exactly the same way we discussed. He is a different horse, he’s so much more settled now, but a lot of work has gone into it.
“Chris Waller trained him and got a win out of him. So, I knew he had ability and I was also quite keen to see him win one for me here – that’s done now.
“Nothing beats confidence, and he got plenty of it running that way tonight. I hope there will be more wins from him.”
Life Is Gamble ($17), who was known as Mr Darcy in Sydney, is raced by a relative newcomer in Mr Chen Yong Whay and was recording his first win in three runs.
Woodworth was his cheeky self as he brought Life Is Gamble, a four-year-old by Authorized, back to scale.
“This young man can train,” said Woodworth, who is 43, as he pointed at Meagher, who is 10 years his junior.
To which Meagher could not resist quipping back self-deprecatingly: “Young but botak (bald in Malay)!”
Woodworth said he knew he was well on his way to greeting the judge when they were able to dictate terms, unchallenged.
“The horse did it easy from the front and turning for home, I knew he would be hard to beat,” said the Malaysian rider.
“He was a bit of a hothead, especially at the barriers, but he has settled down a lot better now.”
