EIGHT months after successful knee surgery, the Richard Azan-conditioned Honey Ryda returned to competitive racing and put in a worthy performance to win a Restricted Overnight Allowance event on Saturday, May 18, 2019.

Although weakening a bit inside the final half-furlong (100m), the four-year-old chestnut filly had done more than enough in deep stretch to hold on by three parts of a length ahead of the fast-finishing pair of El Profesor and Wartime in the 5 ½ furlong (1,100m) event for three-year-olds and upward who had never won an Overnight Allowance event.

The final time of 1:06.3 (splits 22.4 and 46.2) in an indication that Honey Ryda might be back to her old self or possibly even better.

The Adore The Gold offspring last raced in September of last year in an Overnight Allowance event going 6 furlongs (1,200m) and she was beaten into fourth place by 2 ¼ lengths by Without Exception, Zephyr and Ras Emanuel. The final time for that race was 1:13.2.

“She ( Honey Ryda) got a bone chip in her knee and fortunately we had a wonderful surgeon from Trinidad who has been working here and he has done surgery and many horses that have come back and to win.

“In times gone by, when horses chipped their knee that is the end of their careers and so I think that we are progressing very nicely and I had the opportunity to bring back this filly to race and she has won first time out,” Azan shared with this publication.

With Bebeto Harvey in the saddle, Honey Ryda was held neatly into fourth place at the off as Storm Princess (Jemar Jackson) led ahead of Yaya’s Dream (Javaniel Patterson) and Dunrobin (Romario Spencer).

Honey Ryda quickly got into her stride and took over proceedings at the top of the lane and held it to the wire.