HAWKESBURY SEARCHING FOR NEW RACECOURSE MANAGER

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HAWKESBURY Race Club will begin the search for a new racecourse manager following Digby Nuthall’s resignation.

Nuthall, 26, will finish at Hawkesbury with the September 24 race meeting to take up a new position with national company Greenway Turf Solutions.

“I will be based in Sydney looking after Greenway’s spraying and fertilizer group,” he said this morning.

“I’ve been at Hawkesbury for 18 months, and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.

“I would have liked to have stayed more, but you can’t keep knocking back good offers.

“Hawkesbury has been both terrific with me and for me, and I’m sure I will be back involved in racing sometime in the future.”

Nuthall, who has posted an improving “Soft 6” rating for today’s feature Rowley Mile meeting, joined the Hawkesbury club six weeks before last year’s annual Saturday metropolitan stand-alone meeting.

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Hawkesbury chief executive Lea Porteous says that whilst it is disappointing to lose a racecourse manager of Nuthall’scalibre, she understood the opportunity he has been given to move on.

“We will advertise the position, and try to find the best possible replacement as soon as possible,” Ms Porteous said.

“After today’s Rowley Mile, Digby will still be with us for three more race meetings, including our very popular Country Music day on Saturday, September 5.”

Newcastle Group 1 winning trainer Nathan Doyle continued his early season momentum with a Warwick Farm midweek double yesterday.

His successes with four-year-olds Cool Waters ($19) and heavily-backed $2.60 favorite Heroic Deed – both ridden by Ash Morgan - boosted his number to six, and career tally to 372.

Cool Waters, a $180,000 purchase at the 2024 Inglis Classic yearling sale, defeated leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup’s Tequila Baby ($12) in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) for fillies and mares three-year-old and upwards.

It was the daughter of Headwater’s third win from only five starts.

Heroic Deed gave notice of even better things to come when he made it three wins from four starts, in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m).

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The son of Farnan was a 2024 Adelaide Magic Millions purchase at $120,000.

“Heroic Deed has come back a more furnished horse this time,” Doyle’s racing manager David Dyson said this morning.

“He is a very nice horse who looks to have an exciting future.

“Heroic Deed went into yesterday’s race as a benchmark 61rater, so there is scope to source another suitable midweek race before he takes on Saturday company.”

Doyle’s Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup winner Churchill’s Choice – one of three finalists for the NSW Champion Provincial Horse Of The Year – trialled for the first time this preparation at Gosford last Tuesday.

She will trial again, possibly back at Gosford on August 31, before kicking off a new campaign aimed at the $3m Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick on November 3.

“We had eight horses trial at Gosford earlier in the week, including Hidden Motive and Mercy Me, who also will trial again before resuming,” Dyson said.

“Mercy Me and Hellfire Express both won their trials.”

STORY JOHN CURTIS, AUGUST 20, 2026