GRUNGE CLEANS UP WYONG RIVALS FOR CHEVALIER

GRUNGE might not have the tidiest name, but he had no trouble “cleaning up” his rivals at Wyong today.

And in providing trainer Marc Chevalier with a new season breakthrough, he kicked off a three-win run for Hawkesbury horsemen at two different tracks.

Alex Lemarie also clinched his first season success with Showmara at Mudgee, and Hawkesbury’s premier trainer Brad Widdup later in the day scored with The Biv at the Ladies’ Day meeting at Wyong.

Grunge’s all the way victory at $4.40 in the Maiden Plate (1625m) was indeed a reward for Chevalier, who never gave up hope of winning a race with the six-year-old son of dual Melbourne Group 1 winner Grunt.

“He is a very tricky horse,” Chevalier said this evening.

“Grunge started off with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr in Melbourne, but had barrier issues.

“They tried him in both Melbourne and their Sydney base at Rosehill Gardens before Blueblood Thoroughbreds asked me to have a go with him.

“A lot of work has gone into Grunge, and at one stage I wasn’t confident we could even get him to the races.

“He has to lead in his races, otherwise he doesn’t put in.

“Tyler Schiller gave him a great ride leading throughout today, and got going at the right time to steal a break which proved a winning one.”

Grunge was never to be caught in the straight, and defeated $2.25 favorite Buongiorno and Touching Hans ($12).

Grunge was having his eighth start for Chevalier, who correctly reasoned today’s race gave the gelding the right opportunity to shed his maiden status after previously being runner-up twice there.

“He just got caught in a Maiden at Wyong in early August, and I went back there today as it is a tight track suited to leaders,” he said.

Chevalier was pleased with The Iron Star’s fourth to Proxima Dea in a solidly run Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens yesterday, and hopes to follow up on Grunge’s triumph when he heads to Taree tomorrow with new acquisition and hat-trick seeker Yes Yes Boss (Aaron Bullock) in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m).

Lemarie also was on the road today to Mudgee, where former Victorian Showmara (apprentice Jacob Stiff) scored in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1400m) at his third start for him.

At $7, the Showtime five-year-old led home a Hawkesbury quinella, comfortably defeating fellow trainer Simone Thompson’s Sunday ($5.50).

Showmara, who notched his third career win, was sold online through Inglis Digital for $7000 in January.

Widdup made it nine wins for the first month of the new season and the Hawkesbury training base’s 16th when The Biv ($8.50) took the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

Winning rider Chad Schofield found a gap near the inside in the straight, and The Biv burst through to defeat a late finishing $2.60 favorite Maluku.

“The Biv has been trailing well and I expected her to run well first-up, but wasn’t sure whether she would beat the favorite,” Widdup said.

The Biv, a four-year-old daughter of Bivouac, is raced by a syndicate which includes former Hawkesbury Race Club chief executive James Heddo, who was trackside today to cheer her home. STORY BY JOHN CURTIS, AUGUST 30, 2026. PIC BRADLEY PHOTOS.