FOUR days into the new season and Brad Widdup has racked up a winner at least each day and five in total.
Hawkesbury’s leading trainer seems unstoppable at present, and leads the State premiership.
A double (Party Doll and Troika) with his only two runners at home last Thursday on the opening day of the 2024-25 racing year was followed by Art’s Alive bringing home the first of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Maiden races at Coffs Harbour the next day, picking up $122,000 plus a BOBS bonus.
Widdup then took two horses to Newcastle on Saturday, and quinellaed the Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1200m) with Manhattan’s ($6.50) and Pins And Needles ($5.50).
His winning run continued at Wyong yesterday when debutante Canny Queen ($8.50) made an impressive start to her racing career in the 3YO Maiden Plate (1200m).
From his eight starters, not only has Widdup won with five of them, but the other three all ran second.
Noises ($10) and She’s All It ($2.80 co-favorite) both filled the runner-up stall at Wyong, as did Pins And Needles at Newcastle.
“The horses have been in their right races, and you need a bit of luck as well,” Widdup said.
“We’ve got a lot of young horses in work at present, so it’s great to get such a good start to the season.”
Widdup waited until Saturday morning before deciding to start both Manhattan’s and Pins And Needles at Newcastle.
He had been concerned about the heavy track rating on Friday afternoon, and would not have run the pair if there had not been sufficient improvement.
“I rang Kris Lees (leading Newcastle trainer) on Saturday morning and he felt the track was no worse than a ‘Soft 6’, so we went ahead,” Widdup said.
Manhattan’s, a $250,000 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling buy in 2022, is raced by a ladies’ syndicate, which includes the trainer’s wife Milissa.
“I put a tongue tie on the mare at Newcastle because she has been playing around with it a bit in her work,” Widdup explained.
“She is a good-sized mare and as that was her first start back this preparation and she came from last to win, hopefully she can go on with the job and win more races.”
Widdup won his second race in a few days for Summertime Thoroughbreds’ John Cordina when Canny Queen scored at Wyong on Sunday.
The combination won with Party Doll at Hawkesbury last Thursday, and Canny Queen is bound for more successes judged on her Wyong performance.
Cordina purchased the daughter of 2017 Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Ace High for $20,000 in New Zealand early last year – and it looks to be a very astute buy.
The three-year-old filly’s dam Quella Finale was sired by the great staying influence Zabeel, and yet here she was winning first-up at 1200m.
Jockey Tom Sherry secured a gap between runners in the straight in time for Canny Queen to wind up and grab Forrest Gump ($5.50) in the last few strides.
. Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft’s annual pilgrimage to the Forbes Cup meeting on Sunday resulted in three minor placings.
Croft was hoping to win the Big Dance Eligibility Forbes Cup (1600m) for a second successive year with Just A Brother, and he was unlucky not to have done so.
Just A Brother ($20) was last on settling down and came from well back, failing by a mere half-length to overhaul the winner Osman ($8).
Croft also finished a nail-biting second with Royal Veloute ($2.50 favorite) in the Class 1 Handicap (1400m), and third with Hot Jive ($4) in the Class 2 Handicap (1100m).
Hawkesbury co-trainers Phil and Tara Vigouroux also started Legris ($6.50), who finished second in the Maiden Plate (1600m) at Forbes.
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Wyong trainers Kristen Buchanan, Kim Waugh and Damien Lane all have also started the new season well.
Buchanan scored with favorites Fioprospero ($2.15) at Newcastle on Saturday and heavily backed Kervette ($1.70) at Wyong on Sunday, whilst Waugh followed a Hawkesbury success last Thursday with Northern Eyes by also winning at her home track on Sunday with Doraskaya ($6.50).
Lane won with Sneaky Sofia ($3) in the Maiden Plate (900m) at Newcastle on Saturday at her first start since finishing second in the $200,000 Wellington Boot (1100m) in April.
The Merchant Navy three-year-old was racing at Newcastle for only the fourth time, and her trainer considers she has a bright future.
Story John Curtis, August 4, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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