A comprehensive victory aboard Hasabro (NZ) (Savabeel) in Saturday’s feature event at Wingatui, the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge (1600m) came at just the right time for jockey Jacob Lowry.
Lowry, who was one of the leading South Island apprentices during his four-year tenure to grandfather Brian Anderton before stepping out as a fully-fledged senior rider during the 2018/19 racing season, had been going through a relatively lean patch of late.
He put paid to that with a polished display on the Andrew Carston-trained runner on Saturday who overcame a slow start to race clear in the home straight and provide Lowry with a special win in the race named in honour of the Anderton family and their White Robe Lodge banner.
“It was good to get the monkey off my back as I hadn’t had a win in a while,” Lowry said.
“To do it in a race that is very special to the family means a lot to me and it was also good to pay back Andrew and the Go Racing team, who have been really good supporters of mine.
“This is my fourth season as a senior rider and I feel that I’m settling into that role now.
“My goal has always been to be as consistent as I can with my riding and to have the support of my grandfather and uncle Shane, Andrew Carston, Robert Dennis and trainers like that is very important to me.
“There is only a small pool of senior riders down here so to be able to get on these good horses means I can take my riding to a better level.”
Off the track Lowry admits to enjoying a game of golf as a release from the pressure of race riding, however he is totally immersed in the racing life as that is where his passion lies.
“I guess you can say I’m a bit of a purist as I just love racing and everything about it,” he said.
“I manage to get in a game of golf now and then, but I’m pretty hopeless and enjoy the social side of that mainly, but racing is in my blood and my one true passion.
“I’m a firm believer that you only get out of something what you put it to it, so with racing it is a lifestyle and something I don’t consider as work.
“My goals are all based around racing, with a desire to become the top rider in the South Island and to win a Group One at the top of my ambitions.”
With 224 career wins under his belt, including fifteen at stakes level, Lowry is keen to associate himself with the best horses as he strives to achieve his Group One goal.
“I would love to win a Group One and that means I need to be getting on the right horses,” he said.
“I like to do my own rides as it lets me build relationships with trainers and to try and develop opportunities along the way.
“I’ve been lucky to ride some very good horses like Tommy Tucker (NZ) (Gallant Guru), Boots ‘N’ All (NZ) (Perfectly Ready) and Scapolo (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) in my career so far so there is always the drive to get on those types as often as possible.
“Tommy Tucker would be the toughest horse I have ridden and he was just a magical individual.
“If you were going to war, you would want him on your shoulder as he didn’t know how to give in and pulled off some remarkable wins.
“For now though, it is all about improving my skills where I can, keeping my weight under control and looking for the next Tommy Tucker to come along.”
