Darren Weir’s latest three year old star Howard Be Thy Name is searching for five straight wins when he lines up in the Group 3 $150,000 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Howard Be Thy Name. above, is going for five straight wins in the Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Jockey Brad Rawiller hops back on Howard Be Thy Name replacing John Allen who steered the Redoute’s Choice colt to victory in the Group 1 $500,000 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 14.
Allen was also aboard when Howard Be Thy Name won the Listed $100,000 Marsh Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) at Morphettville on April 16 while Rawiller partnered the colt when he won a 1600m BenchMark 70 Handicap at Pakenham at the end of March and again when he was successful in the Group 3 $120,000 Chairman’s Stakes (2020m) at Morphettville on April 30.
Rawiller rode Howard Be Thy Name in track work earlier in the week and said that he had come through his South Australian Derby win in fine order.
“He’s won four in a row and now going for five and the horse hasn’t taken a step backwards,” Rawiller told racing.com.
“I worked him earlier in the week and I’m really happy with how he’s going.
“It’s pretty incredible when you think about how he has strung this many wins together as well as winning the Derby last time.
“He’s going to be hard to beat.”
But despite his winning form, Howard Be Thy Name still has a couple of obstacles to overcome in the Grand Prix Stakes and Rawiller will be looking for all the favours from barrier ten in the thirteen horse field and the colt will be experiencing racing the clockwise direction for the first time.
“We’re going the opposite way for the first time, which will be something different for him and we’re drawn a little bit awkward but if I can give him a nice ride I expect him to run well,” Rawiller said.
Howard Be Thy Name has come in for some solid support at Ladbrokes.com.au and has firmed in from $4.50 to be the second pick at $3.90 for the Grand Prix Stakes behind the front running Mackintosh who heads the market order at $2.25.
The only other runner under double figures at $7.50 is the Desleigh Forster trained Cylinder Beach who is the best chance of the locals and he will appreciate the step up to 2200m after running on strongly at the end of 2000m when second to the Chris Waller trained Mackintosh in the Group 3 $125,000 Mitty’s Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben a fortnight ago.
Grand Prix Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.25 Mackintosh, $3.90 Howard Be Thy Name, $7.50 Cylinder Beach, $11 Eagle Way, $12 Brazen, $16 Unbreakable, $20 Multifacets, $21 Eschiele, Harvard, $26 Red Alto, $51 I’m Belucci, $61 Last Typhoon, $91 Snapper Rocks.
