19 June 2024 , 17:23
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As boss of an international insurance group David Howden should know all about risk.
He burst into racing recognition when his filly Running Lion won a Newmarket Listed race in his colours to become a leading fancy for last year’s Oaks. But that dream ended in frustration when Running Lion was automatically withdrawn from the Epsom Classic after becoming unruly and broke the back of the stalls when she kicked out.
Jockey Oisin Murphy was so angry over the incident, he flung his whip to the ground in temper.
She had not visited the winners’ circle in six more subsequent races but came good in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, leading from the front under Murphy to score at the track where the Howden Group are partner sponsors.
An ecstatic Howden said: “We always knew she had it, ever since she won the Pretty Polly like that and left them standing at Newmarket. It’s been unfortunate since but we knew it was there
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“Oisin rode a blinder. He just controlled the race. She gets her head down, she changes her legs, she runs like her sire Roaring Lion. To win here at Ascot where we are partners is just fantastic. This is why I do it.”
Howden admitted he was stunned by what had happened at Epsom.
Jockey Oisin Murphy hurls his whip to the ground at Epsom (ITV)“You can imagine, there I am at Epsom watching,” he said. “I think she was third favourite. Then off they go and I went, ‘Where’s my filly?’ She’d backed out. That’s about as low as it gets. Today is as high as it gets.”
He went on: “I love the game. You’ve got to love it to be in it. There’s not a lot of sanity in this game. There are a lot of dreams and madness in following it so to deliver this is just fantastic.
“We are partners with Ascot, partners with the VRC in Melbourne, we’re in Bahrain, we’re in Saudi. I am passionate about racing.”