BRAD Widdup was getting annoyed! Hawkesbury’s leading trainer couldn’t fathom why well-bred mare Sunset Park was getting beaten in midweek and Saturday Midway races in Sydney. “I was frustrated,” Widdup said today. “I knew she had the ability, but wasn’t getting the job done. “I started wondering whether there was something wrong.” A trip to Melbourne changed everything. To some observers, it might have seemed simply having a “throw at the stumps” taking on tougher opposition

BEN Osmond’s triumph on talented mare Harlem Queen in Hawkesbury’s feature race yesterday evoked both joy and disappointment. The joy arose as the Newcastle apprentice notched his first career stakes success in the $200,000 Evergreen Turf Ladies Day Cup (1500m) on the $21 chance for Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle. However Racing NSW stewards later took some of the thrill off achieving that by handing him a suspension. Osmond pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding, with

TALENTED Wyong mare Oakfield Jupiter is on the Provincial-Midway Championships trail. A late riding change didn’t stop her from making it two city wins from as many starts this campaign, and taking her overall record to four wins from five starts. Newcastle jockey Aaron Bullock was booked to ride Oakfield Jupiter in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens, but forfeited the mount on race morning when he was unable to make her allotted 57.5kg. RacingNSW st

LIGHTLY-RACED Damien begins his three-year-old season at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow as a gelding. A winner twice from six starts, the son of Hellbent resumes in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m), and Tyler Schiller takes the mount. “With only 52.5kg, it’s like Tyler still being able to claim an allowance,” Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ spokesman Danny Greer said this morning. “Damien trailed well twice last month after being gelded, and this race looks to set up nicely for him.

TRAINER Paul Niceforo says it’s time for Territory Express to “repay” at Hawkesbury tomorrow. Last year’s brilliant Provincial-Midway Championships Final winner goes back to the races in the $200,000 Listed Evergreen Turf Ladies Day Cup (1500m) for only his third start in 12 months. To say he has been a real source of frustration to his trainer and connections would not even be close to the mark because of hopefully his past habit of not leaving the barrier stalls on terms w

BRAD Widdup had never been to a Perth yearling sale until he and major client, Mulberry Racing’s Mike Gregg, went there last year. They purchased four fillies; only two have raced so far and one of them, Bondi Blossom, got off the mark at Gosford today. Starting a $4.40 third favorite at her sixth start, Bondi Blossom (Christian Reith) broke through in the Provincial Maiden Handicap (1600m), comfortably defeating Kembla Grange four-year-old and $2.70 favorite Phoenix Legend.

OAKFIELD JUPITER FOLLOWING HIS RANDWICK WIN WYONG trainer Damien Lane will get another guide on Oakfield Jupiter’s Provincial-Midway Championships credentials at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Successful first-up at Royal Randwick a fortnight ago, the lightly-raced mare will chase back to back city victories when she steps up to 1300m in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap. Jason Collett rode the four-year-old in her impressive 1200m triumph in similar grade on October 25, taking

SYDNEY won out over Melbourne as Terry Croft at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday attempts to clinch his first Golden Slipper Stakes runner. The long-standing Hawkesbury trainer opted to stay home with his debutante winner Thrill Hunter for the $1m Golden Gift (1100m) rather than head south for the $400,000 Inglis Banner (1000m) on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington. “There’s not much difference between the Sydney and Melbourne form,” Croft said this morning

KURRINDA Bloodstock principal Sean Driver didn’t mince words! The Hunter-based syndicate’s Royal Randwick victory yesterday with So You Pence really struck a chord with him. “That meant more to me than winning a Group 1,” Driver said en route home. “It has been such a long process to get her back to the races. “So You Pence won at Moruya in December 2022 at only her second start, and subsequently because of a serious problem we were advised by senior vets to retire this mare.

HAWKESBURY husband and wife trainers Mitch and Desiree Kearney will front up at Flemington tomorrow with their first Group 1 runner in Melbourne – with ample encouragement from jockey Rachel King. Team Kearney arrived in Melbourne late Tuesday morning with their three-year-old filly Sheeza Diva, whom King will ride in the $1m Crown Oaks (2500m). Sheeza Diva returns to her own sex in the fillies’ classic after taking on the “boys” at her last two starts when fourth in the Grou

WHAT a difference 12 months makes! This time last year as Godolphin’s then head Australian trainer James Cummings’ trusted Melbourne lieutenant, Nacim Dilmi was cheering Zardozi when she ran fourth to roughie Knight’s Choice in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington. Come another edition of the great race today, Dilmi instead was at Royal Randwick and celebrated his first metropolitan success as Domeland’s private trainer on the Central Coast. Dilmi, who took over the role a

NEWCASTLE’S gun sprinter Private Harry is at the centre of a major stable switch. The Group 1 winning four-year-old will in future be prepared by Sydney’s all-conquering trainer Chris Waller. The announcement was made this evening by Yulong Investments, which bought into the horse earlier this year with a view to standing him at stud when he retires from the racetrack. “Private Harry will transfer into Chris Waller’s care for the remainder of his racing career,” Yulong’s chie

BRAD Widdup is hoping a late riding switch will help him win Royal Randwick’s Big Dance tomorrow with his first runner. Hawkesbury’s leading trainer says he was fortunate to be able to book Jason Collett for Ruby Flyer in the $3m 1600m feature when Dylan Gibbons took the mount on Lord OfBiscay for leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, with whom he served his apprenticeship. Gibbons qualified Ruby Flyer for the Big Dance when he partnered him to victory in the Goulburn Cup (140

JAY Hopkins barely had time to bask in the glory of his biggest payday in yesterday’s $500,000 Four Pillars Midway at Royal Randwick. The Newcastle trainer was back on the road again today with his winner Sonofdec’s older half-brother Super Freds for a Muswellbrook assignment (he ran second). But not before he made sure his favorite horse Got Unders was fed and watered. He had just completed the daily morning chore when ProvincialRacingNSW called just after 9am to discuss the

SIX times Group 1 winning jockey Dean Yandell would be riding in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup if all had gone to plan! Instead he has answered a call from Wyong trainer Nacim Dilmi to partner Aix En Provence in the $3m Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick the same day. The vastly experienced 51-year-old Victorian is returning to the scene of his maiden Group 1 triumph on favorite Yankee Rose in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) in 2016. Yendall qualified Pakenham-trained mare Basi

“HE is one of the outsiders. I have to try something different.” So said leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, explaining his decision on an important gear change on Changingoftheguard for Tuesday’s first ever $10m Melbourne Cup at Flemington. The imported stayer will race in blinkers in the 165 th running of Australia’s famous 3200m contest. Lees opted for the “shades” in the hope they will help the imported seven-year-old, who is his sole Cup representative. Changingofthegu

BOTH Memoria’s first-up statistics and record at Royal Randwick are hard to argue with. Which is why she has an excellent value chance on resumption there tomorrow in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m). Apprentice Ben Osmond will ride the six-year-old daughter of Caravaggio; his 2kg allowance lessening her weight to 58kg, for his master, leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees. Memoria has won four from five first-up attempts, and hasn’t been out of a place in three starts at Rand

ONE good turn deserved another! Sara Ryan could not have scripted a better result than her first winner on her home track at Wyong yesterday since branching out as a public trainer. That occurred when Oceans One ($5.50) defeated Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle’s $3.90 favorite Formal in the Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1000m). Ryan was the sole provincial winner on the eight-race program, but that wasn’t the important thing. In scoring with Oceans One, she repaid the geld

JACK Pilkington wasn’t going to be caught napping! The Hawkesbury trainer had set Alabama State for the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway at Rosehill Gardens 12 months ago, and was understandably downcast when his then three-year-old was left with trying to overcome barrier 18 in a capacity 20-horse field. Alabama State had no luck and in the circumstances did a terrific job to finish fourth to Kingston Charm (beaten less than a length). “It broke his heart and a fortnight later h

RACING’S “comeback kid” Locky Scorse marked the second anniversary today of his near fatal fall at Taree in the best possible way. He rode half a dozen gallops at Broadmeadow this morning as his confidence grows about a return to riding in races. “I’m really excited about the future,” the 21-year-old, whose courage and determination knows no bounds, said this afternoon. “My confidence is back, and that’s hugely important. “I’m going out riding trackwork not worrying about any