Apprentice Mo to ride Kawi

29 October 2015

Stable apprentice Dylan Mo will partner glamour galloper Kawi at Awapuni on Saturday.

Kawi has 62kg in the Redcraze Bowl (1400m), but Mo will claim 3kg.

“We had to claim,” trainer Allan Sharrock said. “I think 62kg would have been prohibitive, but with the claim he will be giving 0.5kg to Mighty Solomon.

“He [Kawi] will still be susceptible but if Dylan can give him a good ride, he will be a winning chance.”

Mo, 22, is involved with the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s apprentice programme and was transferred to Sharrock this year, after spending two years with the academy programme in South Africa.

“He’s starting to come right and has improved out of sight in the last three weeks,” Sharrock said. “You will see a different rider over the next six months.

“They need to get the opportunities to go to the next level and we put Kei [former stable apprentice Kei Chiong] on I Do.

“If you can’t put your apprentice on your own horses, you might as well not have them.”

Kawi has not raced since his spectacular Makfi Stakes win at Hastings on August 29 and missed 10 days work with a minor muscle problem, which prevented him contesting last weekend’s Windsor Park Plate at Trentham.

However, he had a trial outing last week and has been working well. “His work on Tuesday was outstanding, he’s flying,” Sharrock said.

“He will be vulnerable [at Awapuni] but I do want to see him hitting the line.”

Saturday’s race will help fit Kawi for a crack at a weight-for-age treble, comprising the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes on November 14, the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham on December 5 and the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. – NZ Racing Desk

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