TRAINERS’ FOURSOME AT TWO TRACKS

PROVINCIAL trainers cleaned up with a Wednesday foursome – two winners in town and another two at Grafton’s Ramornie Handicap meeting.

Leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup and Newcastle’s Nathan Doyle came up trumps at the Kensington track, and Hawkesbury’s Terry Croft and Wyong’s Tracey Bartley kept the provincial flag flying at one of Grafton’s feature days.

Widdup clinched his 58^th winner in 2024-25 when Hasty Honey ($2.70 favorite) took the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1550m) for fillies and mares at Royal Randwick’s inside Kensington circuit, and Doyle snared his 49^th of the current season when Mornington Pier ($9), ridden by Josh Parr, maintained his unbeaten record for his new trainer when he also won a 1550m Benchmark 72 against his own sex.

Croft continued a stellar July; Zoutastic’s Grafton triumph as a $2.50 favorite in the Class 2 Handicap (1100m) being his third winner from his last four starters, whilst Bartley got a magic result with $3.10 favorite Magicon (Mitchell Bell) in the Class 6 Rural Plate (2200m).

Leading trainer Widdup opted to bypass a Randwick engagement last Saturday with Hasty Honey, and the move paid dividends when she made it two city wins in a row.

Ridden by Newcastle apprentice William Stanley, who continues to show his wares in town, Hasty Honey led throughout to defeat Bella Corazon ($4) and American Starlet ($13).

Stanley’s 3kg claim proved vital as his mount’s handicap was reduced to 59kg, and Hasty Honey had enough in reserve to hold off the runner-up with 3kg less.

Bella Corazon at her previous start at Hawkesbury had beaten Hasty Honey’s stablemate Audrey’s Lane, who confirmed the form with a gutsy Newcastle victory last Saturday.

“Hasty Honey is going great this time in work, and deserves the chance now to win a Saturday race in town,” Widdup said this evening.

“I will look at the programs both in Sydney and Melbourne, and look for something suitable.

“I was always a bit suspect about her getting over more ground, but her dam (Honey Cara) won up to 2000m at Flemington and 2040m at The Valley, and Hasty Honey is getting stronger.

“She bounced off the float when she got back to her Hawkesbury stable, and was as bright as a button.”

Widdup also had last start Hawkesbury winner Bella Khadijah in the same race, but chose not to run her.

“She had 60kg for a three-year-old filly, and it would have been asking a lot of her to beat her stablemate,” he said.

Doyle scored first-up with Pierro four-year-old Mornington Pier at home on June 14, and the former Victorian made it two in a row, comfortably disposing of $3.50 joint favorite Pink Shalala.

Doyle took blinkers off the former Victorian before racing him, and it has certainly paid off.

Croft has a much smaller team than Widdup and Doyle, but also is in great form and can celebrate a memorable season.

Zoutastic was his 11^th winner since August 1; his best season in many a year and now three more than each of the last two years.

Zoutastic followed Croft’s successes with Tides Turning at home on July 3 and Royal Commodore at Wyong two days later.

Grafton has been a happy hunting ground for Croft, who has twice won the Big Maiden at the July carnival, with Catseye Surprise 12 years ago and Hot Jive last year.

A $5000 purchase by her trainer at the 2023 Inglis HTBA yearling sale in Sydney, Zoutastic has already proven such a fantastic buy.

The three-year-old daughter of Zousain won a $50,000 Super Maiden Plate (1200m) at Wagga in January, which also carried a $100,000 booty being part of the Inglis Xtra Bonus series for maidens.

Apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald has ridden Croft’s last three winners and has built a terrific strike rate with him (five wins and four placings from only 15 rides).

Croft believes Zousain eventually deserves her chance to make her mark in town.

“Her trackwork indicates she us up to doing that,” he said on his way home this evening.

“She has a good demeanour, and is getting better all the time.”

Bartley has prepared Prized Icon four-year-old Magicon for all of his 18 starts – this was his fourth success (the first three were at the provincials) – and is no stranger to Grafton either.

He has won four races there, but that statistic could be so much better as he has also had 10 seconds at the track.

Story John Curtis, July 16, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos