EVERY provincial and Midway trainer with an eligible horse or two has at least one goal this autumn.
That is to win the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12; Day 2 of The Championships.
Paul Murray is no exception, and has the best reason to achieve that goal.
His legendary late father Bede Murray won the very first Final – then known as solely the Provincial Championships – with Sure And Fast in 2015.
Now his Kembla Grange trainer son Paul has his heart set on emulating him by capturing this year’s Final with a much in-form mare who was bred in South Australia and cost a mere $700 as a weanling.
And he will have former Illawarra Turf Club manager Michael Craig to thank if Welcometobarbados can make the Final and win it.
Murray is leaving nothing to chance in his determined bid to join his nine times Group 1 (eight in Australia and one in New Zealand) winning trainer father on the PMC honour roll.
Welcometobarbados, a four-year-old daughter of Redoute’s Choice stallion Barbados, staked her claim for the series with the win of the day on resumption at Newcastle last Saturday.
Ridden by Jean Van Overmeire, Welcometobarbados ($5.50) came from last, was the widest runner on the home turn, and sustained a strong burst to take the Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1250m).
It was her fourth win from eight starts, and adding to the merit of her performance was that the rail was out nine metres.
Murray’s long day last Saturday (he left home at 10am and got back at 10pm as his mare was in the last race) not only was worth it, but an important part of his plan for the series.
“Welcometobarbados had been working well, and I expected her to run a good race,” Murray said today.
“I noticed the race on the calendar, and decided to take her to Newcastle to have a look at the track as I want to run her there in the 1400m Qualifier (for provincial-trained horses only) on Saturday week.
“It might be different now, but Dad used to say that horses often were beaten at their first start at Broadmeadow.
“Welcometobarbados handled the trip really well, and has come through the race in great order.
“The 1400m is going to suit her and if she finishes in the first two on Saturday week, we’re in the Final.
“Otherwise there are still a couple of options, including another Qualifier for provincial horses only at home on March 22.
“It would be very satisfying if I could win the Final, seeing as though Dad won the first one.”
Murray explained how he got to train Welcometobarbados, even though he knew little of the Barbados stock.
“Michael Craig is friends with John Lundy, who had bought this mare as a weanling and was looking for somewhere to agist her,” he said.
“John has a place not far from me. Michael recommended him to me, and we’ve gone from there.”
Murray didn’t push Welcometobarbados by not racing her as a two-year-old, and has had a long range plan to target this year’s PMC series.
Even as a three-year-old, he started her only three times and put her away to enable her to mature.
Thus Welcometobarbados has won four of her last five starts as a four-year-old, and there were legitimate excuses for her defeat when fourth as favorite in a Benchmark 66 Handicap (1600m) at Wagga on October 19 last year.
She ran in the second last race on a track which was chopping up, and wasn’t comfortable.
Back on better ground, she produced another dynamic finish to take a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m) at home on November 16 before a short break.
Welcometobarbados was a $26 chance before last Saturday’s impressive resumption, and is now at $15, with fellow Kembla Grange trainer Kerry Parker’s Well Timed heading betting at $8.
. Two more entries were received this morning, taking the number to 15, for Thursday’s opening PMC Qualifier (1400m) at Hawkesbury.
Acceptances for the race – again the first two placegetters automatically qualify for the Final – will be taken at 9am tomorrow.
Wyong trainer Kim Waugh’s Bojangles and Randwick trainer John Sargent’s Harlow Mist are the highest-rated Final contenders (both $15) in the Hawkesbury opener.
Story John Curtis, February 17, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos
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