PARKER’S WILD THOUGHTS SCOOPS FINAL SEASON $100,000 BONUS

KERRY Parker couldn’t be at his home track’s final meeting of the season yesterday – but it mattered not!

The Kembla Grange trainer was a keen TV watcher at Royal Randwick as he landed a $100,000 booty for connections of lightly-raced three-year-old Wild Thoughts.

In an outcome which understandably had mixed thoughts for Parker, Wild Thoughts ($1.45 favorite) beat stablemate Penalties ($4.40) in the Inglis Xtra Bonus Series Maiden Handicap (1500m).

Penalties (Brock Ryan) looked mighty hard to beat when he bounded clear in the straight, but Wild Thoughts (Chad Lever) got him down in the style of a horse destined for more success.

“I felt both disappointed for Penalties’ connections, and obviously pleased for Wild Thoughts’ owners,” Parker said today.

“The latter has a bit of class.”

Wild Thoughts captured the last of 50 $100,000 bonuses Inglis promoted in four states this season for eligible Maiden horses.

“It’s a wonderful result for the owners, especially considering we paid less than half the bonus amount,” Parker said.

A son of international star and successful sire So You Think, the three-year-old was a $45,000 buy for Proven Thoroughbreds and Parker at the 2023 Inglis Classic yearling sale.

“He was a little bit different to the normal So You Think progeny and, like most of them, needed time.

“That was only his third start and is showing signs of making his presence felt in better races in the new season,” Parker said.

“Wild Thoughts has pulled up well, so we will look for another suitable race next month.”

Parker was out of luck at Randwick where Callistemon ($4.60 favorite) ran eighth and $61 outsider So Sleek ran 13^thin the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m).

Father and son Rob and Luke Price won both the Illawarra Turf Club local trainers and All Trainers’ premierships, and also the Horse Of The Year title with Zaragoza.

Keagan Latham was a runaway winner of the jockeys’ premiership, and Mollie Fitzgerald was the champion apprentice.

The final standings are:

ALL TRAINERS

R & L Price 123 points

M Beer 89.5

A & R Archibald 72

LOCAL TRAINERS

R & L Price 22 wins

M Beer 16

K Parker 8

JOCKEYS

K Latham 153 points

J Van Overmeire 79

C Lever 61

A Adkins 59

APPRENTICE

M Fitzgerald 48.5 points

O Chambers 27

HORSE OF THE YEAR

Zaragoza 40

Invade And Conquer 39

Equilibrist 33

This Is The Moment 33

. Fellow Kembla Grange trainer Theresa Bateup finished the season with a flourish at the Sapphire Coast today.

Bateup landed a double, scoring with Sir Sublime ($5.50) in the Class 1/Maiden Plate (1600m), and London Star ($2.50 co favorite) in the Maiden Plate (1400m).

Brock Ryan rode Sir Sublime, and Shaun Guymer was aboard London Star.

Story John Curtis, July 27, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos