TRAINERS ON SONG TO START NEW SEASON

BRAD Widdup and Mike Van Gestel kicked off the new season for the Hawkesbury training base with wins at Wyong today.

Widdup took the Provincial Maiden Handicap (1350m) with Savoonga (Chad Schofield) at $3.90, and Van Gestel sprang a $21 upset with Johnny Smash (Mollie Fitzgerald) in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1630m).

Savoonga, a four-year-old daughter of North Pacific, was bred by Davali Thoroughbreds and given to Hawkesbury’s leading trainer when she didn’t reach her reserve at the 2024 Inglis Classic yearling sale.

Johnny Smash, a five-year-old son of Brave Smash, is a homebred and the second foal of Cheeky Bella, with whom Van Gestel won five races.

Widdup was thrilled to get a result with Savoonga for Davali, who have been good supporters of his stable.

“I liked her at the sale and was pleased when Davali asked me to train her,” he said this evening.

“Savoonga had six trials between March last year and January this year before she went to the races.

“She just wasn’t ready, and we had to be patient.

“I gave her four starts earlier this year and, whilst unplaced in all of them, she didn’t run badly.

“She has come back really well with a first-up second at Newcastle and today’s win, and I feel she will get up to at least a mile (1600m).

“Hopefully today’s breakthrough will give her confidence to keep improving.”

Whilst Widdup scored with Savoonga, stablemates Seven Days ($1.50) and Vondel ($10) could not bring the same result in other races.

Seven Days ($1.50 favorite) ran fifth in the Class 1 Handicap (1100m), and Vondel ran fifth in Johnny Smash’s race.

The lengthy RacingNSW stewards’ report underscored Seven Days’ woes in running, and Vondel was held up for clear running from the 300m until near the 100m.

Van Gestel was pleasantly surprised to get another win at his 20th start with Johnny Smash, whose first also was at Wyongin a 1600m Maiden in May last year on heavy ground.

“Johnny Smash has been racing well enough,” he said. “He ran third at Hawkesbury two runs back and then wasn’t far away when fourth at Kembla Grange last time.

“I thought he would have been better suited on a softer track, and when he got back to last in the run today, that was further than I had expected.

“But Mollie (Fitzgerald) obviously knew what she was doing.”

Fitzgerald found plenty of room about four horses off the fence in the straight, and Johnny Smash took advantage, bursting through to defeat Wyong trainer Nacim Dilmi’s Bellevue ($11).

Van Gestel was happy firstly to secure a start with fourth emergency Johnny Smash and secondly to secure talented apprentice Fitzgerald to ride the gelding.

“I tried a few other jockeys, but they wanted to go home,” he said.

“Mollie was happy to stay and ride him.”

Wyong trainer Tracey Bartley was the other successful provincial trainer, scoring at home with Cuban Cigar ($3.80) in the Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1300m).

Ridden by Mitchell Bell, Cuban Cigar defeated Ciaron Maher’s $3.20 favorite Sociable to continue Bartley’s good run in recent weeks.

Dusty Bay won at Warwick Farm on July 15, Stakeholder at Kembla Grange a day later, and then Last Druid was first home at Hawkesbury three days later.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, AUGUST 2, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS