WHEN you’re hot, you’re hot!
Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup made it 11 wins in the opening month of the season when Fun Sunday ($2.80 favorite) won a deceptive photo-finish to take the Benchmark 64 Handicap (2260m) at Newcastle on Thursday.
Even racecaller Phil Roberts thought she had been beaten, and her trainer noted photo-finish results such as that usually went against him.
“It’s a nice change of luck, and it was a really tough effort on Fun Sunday’s part to come from so far back under 59kg and sustain a long and determined run from before the home turn,” Widdup said.
“She got the bob in on the post at exactly the right time.”
Winning jockey Alysha Collett deserved full marks for never giving up, and her determination helped the mare to nose out Community ($18) in the trickiest of finishes.
Collett is Widdup’s second most successful rider; this being her 33rd winner for him.
Widdup decided to pull Fun Sunday out of a Benchmark 78 Handicap (2400m) at Royal Randwick last Saturday for an easier provincial assignment, and was pleased he had done so.
“I’m sure it was the right move and now, having won two provincial races in a row, she can go to town for hopefully a 2400m benchmark race to try to clinch a hat-trick,” he said.
Of Widdup’s 11 August winners to date, six of them have been for Fun Sunday’s breeder-owner John Cordina under his Summertime Thoroughbreds banner.
Sebring five-year-old Fun Sunday is the first foal of her dam, the Duporth mare Choice Sunday, who didn’t win in 13 starts but was placed twice at Warwick Farm and Newcastle – both at 1300m.
Widdup has now won five races – including one in town over 1900m at Canterbury in June last year – with the mare.
“It’s never easy giving away big starts as she did at Newcastle, but you can’t bustle her early,” he said.
“You have to let her settle where she is happy, and Alysha really suits her.”
Whilst Widdup has racked up 11 wins already (and is second only to Chris Waller in the State premiership), he has also prepared 15 placings – and 10 of them have been seconds – from only 35 starters.
Widdup was delighted with his dual Group 3 winner Phearson’s return when third to The Everest second favorite Joliestar in the Show County Quality (1200m) at Royal Randwick last Saturday.
“Josh Parr rode him well, and we’ll look to go next to the Group 2 Theo Marks Quality (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 14,” he said.
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Provincial trainers won half of the eight-race Newcastle program.
Kembla Grange pair Theresa Bateup and Mitch Beer, and Wyong’s Kim Waugh also were in winning groove.
Bateup took the Provincial Maiden Plate (1300m) with $2.40 favorite Master Riley (Jess Taylor), narrowly defeating Widdup’s Ramius ($4.20), and Beer landed the F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap (1250m) with $8 chance Shalook (Blake Spriggs).
Master Riley, a four-year-old son of Hellbent, was having only his fourth start and Bateup is confident the best is yet to come.
He was a $22,000 yearling purchase in 2022 at the trainer’s favorite Inglis HTBA sale.
Beer paid $30,000 for now five-year-old Shalook at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare sale at the Gold Coast, and has won five races with the daughter of Shalaa.
Waugh has done a superb job with former Sydney gelding Northern Eyes, who clinched a hat-trick in the Midway Benchmark 68 Handicap (1500m) for Jay Ford.
The Zoustar four-year-old fetched a cool $1.25m at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale, and was onsold for $155,000 online through Inglis in March after six starts for three city placings.
Waugh won consecutive races with Northern Eyes at Hawkesbury on August 1 and 13 (both at 1300m), and the gelding proved his mettle by stepping up to 1500m and carrying 59.5kg to victory.
Story John Curtis, August 29, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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