Apprentice jockey Christian Howarth insists he would be "speechless" if Wordsworth could secure him the biggest success of his career in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch on the second day of the Dubai Future Champions Festival, Dubai Future Champions Day, at Newmarket on Saturday.
The 21-year-old, who was on the books of Sky Bet League One side Cambridge United when he was younger, has picked up the plum ride on the David Pipe trained five-year-old in the £200,000 heritage handicap for which a full field of 34 has been declared for.
While looking forward to his ride aboard Wordsworth at the weekend life could have been much different for Howarth had he not been released as a teenager by Cambridge United.
However, although starting out riding later than most, the decision to pursue a career in the saddle is one Howarth, who works for Newmarket based trainer Alice Haynes, admits he has not looked back on.
He added: “I didn’t sit on a horse until I was 16 and I’m now 21 so I’ve come a long way.
“After I was released by Cambridge United I decided to go to the British Racing School and all I’ve done is just play catch up.
“I can’t really complain with how things are going as I’ve had over 500 rides and things are going the right way.
“I’ve got a good agent in Jack Inkpen and in the past two months he has got me plenty of rides. He has done well for me.
“I’m getting plenty of rides, but I just need the winners to come through, which I’m sure they will as I’ve been knocking on the door.
“I’d be pretty speechless if Wordsworth won as it would be massive for me. We are going there with every chance of the possibility that it could happen.”
Wordsworth finished fourth on his latest Flat start in a Listed contest at Down Royal in June. However the former Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Galileo will enter his next assignment on the back of a win following a facile victory in a maiden hurdle for his new connections at Bangor earlier this month.
And with the last five renewals of the historic two and a quarter mile contest all going the way of Jump yards it has given Howarth extra confidence of extending that sequence aboard Wordsworth.
Howarth said: “It is brilliant to get on a horse like this. I first heard about it on Tuesday and it is a very big opportunity for me.
“It is my second ride in a big handicap this year as I rode in the Ebor up at York as well and these are the races you want to ride in.
“Jump trainers have won the last five renewals of the race, so they have a good recent record in it.
“Wordsworth had a great prep run as he hardly came off the bridle when winning up at Bangor last time out over hurdles.
“It is great to get a ride in the race, especially for a trainer like Mr Pipe, and he should go there with a live chance.”
Although Wordsworth has been drawn wide in stall 34 the five-pound claimer is confident he can overcome that burden, while he also believes any further rain that falls at the track in the lead up to the race will help increase his chances of victory.
Howarth added: “We are drawn over in stall 34, but my horse will stay all day. There is plenty of time to come across from that draw and at the end of the day the race is long.
“I will see what Mr Pipe says, but I’m sure he will want me to go forward looking at how he normally runs. If I can get him in a good rhythm it is then a case of seeing what happens.
“The horse was second in a Group One in France (Grand Prix de Paris) in 2021 on soft ground so it is a case of the more rain the better for him and it looks like there is more rain about. If I could win a race like the Cesarewitch on Saturday it could really set me up.”
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