EXPRESS MAY MAKE LATE BID TO DEFEND PMC TITLE

SOMETIMES fate works in strange ways!

Last season’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final winner Territory Express could make a surprise late bid at Newcastle on Thursday to qualify for this year’s $1m Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12, and defend his “title”.

Trainer Paul Niceforo will decide after the gelding works on Tuesday morning whether to accept for the fifth heat, where the first two placegetters join the eight horses (Rapt, Bojangles, Welcometobarbados, Lord Of Biscay, Mahogany Girl, Well Timed, Money Team and Mogul Monarch) already qualified in the race to become 2025 champion.

And he has Melbourne jockey Carleen Hefel on standby to come to Newcastle for the mount.

The opportunity to contest a second PMC series wasn’t really on the agenda, but came to light when Territory Express was a race morning withdrawal from the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) at Flemington a week ago.

“A stone bruise in his near fore hoof was detected on race morning, and he could have raced in three-quarter shoes,” Niceforo said today.

“But I wasn’t prepared to do that, so we brought him home with the hope of running him again in this year’s Provincial-Midway Championships series.”

Whilst Territory Express didn’t race in Melbourne, Niceforo said the trip was still worthwhile.

“Because of his previous barrier issues, we took him south for the renowned horseman Julien Welsh to do some work with him,” Niceforo explained.

“Julien and his staff did a wonderful job, and his former apprentice Carleen rode him.

“Carleen was to have ridden him at Flemington, and as she now knows the horse well, we felt she should have the opportunity to stay with him if we go ahead and run at Newcastle.”

Hefe, who has ridden nearly 300 winners, including a stint in Western Australia during her time as an apprentice, clinched a maiden Group 3 success on the Peter Moody-trained Sigh in the Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield in July 2023.

Territory Express incurred a RacingNSW stewards’ ban after he bombed the start hopelessly in the $1m The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange last November.

The ban was lifted by Victorian stewards after he contested a 1000m jumpout at Cranbourne on March 3.

“Pride Of Jenni (who returned to racing in triumph at Caulfield yesterday) won the jumpout,” Niceforo said.

“Territory Express jumped well and finished fourth. Carleen had him under double wraps throughout.

“We have been treating the stone bruise, and I’m positive about him running at Newcastle on Thursday.

“Provided he gallops well on Tuesday morning and shows no sign of soreness, he will be an acceptor for the Qualifier.”

Twenty-seven horses have been entered for the Newcastle heat, open to both eligible provincial and Midway horses.

Had Territory Express raced at Flemington yesterday week, he would not have been eligible for the 2025 Provincial-Midway Championships.

He has had 20 starts – and, under the conditions, that is the limit for any horse to contest their first Qualifier of the series.

Territory Express does not currently figure in TAB.com.au betting on the PMC Final, which has five horses vying for favoritism at $8.

. The market is:

$8 Lord Of Biscay, Matcha Latte, Rapt, Welcometobarbados, Well Timed

$11 Bojangles, French Ruler, Mogul Monarch, Money Team, Wooloowin

$15 Alabama State, Broadway Bouncer, Flying Bandit, Harlow Mist, Mahogany Girl, Overriding, Rolling Magic, Silvanito, Spangler

Story John Curtis, March 16, 2025- Pics Bradley Photos