BIG DANCE ELIGIBILITY BIG DRAWCARD FOR HAWKESBURY CUP
- Provincial Racing NSW
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
HAWKESBURY boss James Heddo has no doubt the lure of Big Dance eligibility has given the Group 3 Richmond Club Hawkesbury Gold Cup extra impetus.
Hawkesbury Race Club will celebrate the 21st anniversary of this now very popular stand-alone metropolitan meeting on Saturday, with the $250,000 1600m feature headlining the 10-race program.
A record total of 224 entries has been received (12 more than last year), with 23 horses nominated for the Gold Cup.
“This is the third year our Gold Cup has carried Big Dance eligibility, and it is definitely an even bigger enticement for trainers with an eye on the $3m Big Dance at Royal Randwick in November,” Heddo said today.
“As with our race, the Big Dance is also at 1600m.”
Hawkesbury’s 21st Saturday stand-alone features three $250,000 Group 3s – the Elite Sand & Soil Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) for three-year-olds and Pioneer Services Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) for fillies and mares, along with the Cup – and $200,000 Listed Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) for the speedsters.
The St Johns Park Bowling Club 2YO Clarendon Stakes (1400m) adds further lustre to the card.
“I’m very happy indeed with the overall quality of entries,” Heddo said.
“The Gold Cup includes a Group 1 winner in Royal Supremacy (last year’s The Metropolitan at Royal Randwick) and last year’s Melbourne Cup placegetter Middle Earth.
“Again it promises to be a terrific race, whilst the Guineas is a pre-cursor to Brisbane winter features for three-year-olds, and the Crown for the ‘girls’ is always keenly contested.
“And the 2YO Clarendon Stakes has shown in the past that it can throw up a top horse or two of the future.
“Our leading trainer Brad Widdup has nominated the promising Tenenbaum.”
The Cup drew 23 entries, the Guineas 19, Crown 28 and Gold Rush 32.
Additional nominations for the Clarendon and Benchmark 78 Handicap (1500m) have been extended until 11am tomorrow (Tuesday).
The rail will be in the TRUE position, and course manager Digby Nuthall reports the track is in magnificent order.
“It will be presented in the best possible order on Saturday,” Nuthall said. “We are a ‘Good 4’ at present and generally the forecast is for good weather throughout the week.”
Pending acceptances on Wednesday morning, TAB.com.au has issued early markets on the four Hawkesbury features.
Chris Waller’s Captain Furai (a winner at three of his last four starts) heads the Gold Cup market at $4.50 ahead of stablemate Lord Penman as the all-conquering trainers chases a fourth victory in the Group 3 feature, having previously won with Coup Ay Tee (2013), Amovatio (2016), and New Mandate (2023).
Victorian visitor Regal Award, en route to the Brisbane carnival, is the early $3.50 favorite for the Guineas, and David Pfieffer’s Oh Diamond Lil at $4.50 heads the Crown market.
TAB.com.au cannot find an outright Gold Rush favorite, and have Kerguelen and Zealously currently sharing the top line at $6.
Heddo says there has been tremendous interest in the club’s 21st anniversary fixture.
“All our packages have been sold out, and a special promotion in regard to general admission has also had a great response,” he said.
“With fine weather forecast for Saturday, there will be a good walk-up crowd with GA tickets still available on the day.
“And rock legends Dragon are sure to be popular entertaining racegoers after the last race.”
STORY JOHN CURTIS, APRIL 27, 2026
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