Episode 448: Todd Howlett

Some trainers enjoy the bustling environment of a city stable. Others wouldn’t leave their country bases for a Godolphin contract. One of the latter group is Todd Howlett who’s more than content training his forty horse team at Lower Belford. I enjoyed catching up with a horseman who 23 years ago began his racing involvement while working for the Singleton Council. Todd talks of his recent Coonabarabran Cup win with Scorched Land. He heaps praise on Scorched Land’s rider, talented apprentice Anna Roper. The trainer talks of a recent winning run including a Gunnedah treble. He describes the layout of his Lower Belford training facility. Todd talks of his upcoming role as private trainer for cousin Sean Dyson who’s developing a state of the art training centre a short distance away. He talks of his family background. Todd looks back on an early stint as a bronc rider on the rodeo circuit, and his involvement in camp drafting. He remembers his time as a parks and gardens foreman with the Singleton Council. The trainer recalls a Muswellbrook win with his very first starter The Moonster in 2000. He and wife Anika devised a plan by which they could build a bigger punting bank. Todd talks more of The Moonster, the horse who launched his training career. He pays tribute to two special horses who gave his early career a tremendous kick start. Todd looks back on a wonderful association with retired jockey Robert Thompson. He acknowledges a national riding premiership win achieved by his former apprentice Aaron Bullock. Howlett has nothing but praise for another of his apprentices, the talented Mikayla Weir. The Hunter Valley horseman recalls the horror of the 2021 truck accident which could have easily claimed his life. Todd talks of the five horses who were on board his truck at the time of the freakish collision. He talks of his greatest supporter wife Anika, and children Aiden and Macey. His daughter has inherited the racing genes. Todd refutes the popular belief that he’s related to former jockey and trainer Bernie Howlett. It’s a nice yarn with a man who’s in the Hunter Valley for the duration.