WIDDUP DOUBLE GIVES HIM OUTRIGHT HOME PREMIERSHIP LEAD

BRAD Widdup took an important step at home today toward retaining his Hawkesbury trainers’ premiership title.

Hawkesbury’s leading trainer took his season’s number of winners to 60 when he scored with Mulberry-owned favorites Internal Affairs and Escargoes – and it gave him a two-win buffer over Sydney’s champion trainer Chris Waller.

There are only two meetings left (July 2 and 19), and 13 of his 60 winners so far this season have been at his home track.

Internal Affairs ($1.75) made a successful return in the Pioneer Services Maiden Plate (1000m), whilst Escargoes ($1.90) doubled up on his Hawkesbury breakthrough last month to take the St John’s Park Bowling Club Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

Tyler Schiller, who clinched a treble at the meeting, rode Internal Affairs, and runaway jockeys’ premiership leader Tommy Berry made it 20 for the season on Escargoes.

Two-year-old Internal Affairs, who fetched $440,000 at last year’s Inglis Premier yearling sale in Melbourne, was having only his third start.

He had a bone chip removed from a fetlock after finishing second to Where’s The Circus in the $400,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Royal Randwick last December.

“Internal Affairs is a lovely colt (by Home Affairs), and his two lead-up trials at Rosehill were good,” Widdup said this evening.

“The only query today was the 1000m, but it looked the right race at home to get him going again, and he was classy enough to get the job done.

“I won’t be rushing him.

“Hopefully, I can find a suitable Benchmark race for him next.”

Widdup is pleased to see Capitalist three-year-old Escargoes, a $280,000 buy at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale, finally showing his wares.

Escargoes made it two in a row in defeating Divo ($4.40) and the winner’s stablemate Kosrae ($21), who has earned a break.

“Escargoes has a lot of ability, and it was frustrating not seeing him produce it in his races until now,” Widdup said.

“I feel he is best suited at 1000m-1100m.”

Escargoes broke through in a Provincial 3YO Maiden Handicap (1100m) at home on May 14, and Brad kept him for this race.

“He had a tick-over trial at Warwick Farm on June 9, and hopefully we can get a hat-trick with him,” he said.

Meanwhile, Widdup is looking to try Hyperbolic (56.5kg) at 2100m in the Listed Tattersall’s Gold Crown at Eagle Farm on Saturday, and Tommy Berry will ride her.

Hyperbolic is indeed due for a change of fortune, having been placed at her last three metropolitan starts, two of them in Brisbane.

“I also nominated her for the McKell Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday, but Brisbane is the preference and she will be floated north tomorrow night,” he said.

. Whilst it was a good day at the office for Widdup with two winners and two placings (Anna Karenina and Whoa Nellie), the latter bled from both nostrils and will be spelled; her successful campaign yielding two wins.

And he was disappointed to hear news from RacingNSW that he will not be eligible for Midway races next season.

. Newcastle trainers Kris Lees and Jason Deamer were successful at today’s corresponding Taree meeting – all with favorites.

Lees scored with Royal Botanic ($2.45) and Antilopini ($2.90), and Deamer with Rose Water ($1.35).

STORY JOHN CURTIS, JUNE 23, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS