Latest News

By John Curtis

It's been another excellent season for Brad Widdup who begins a new season at home on Thursday with a couple of runners.

And he’ll also break new ground with his first runner at Friday’s Coffs Harbour Cup meeting.

Hawkesbury’s leading trainer prepared 61 winners during the 2023-24 racing year, which concludes today, and nine were at his home track, equalling the number he trained the previous season.

Party Doll (Jean Van Overmeire) lands the money at Newcastle. Image by Bradley Photographers

Widdup has three acceptors – Art’s Alive, Party Doll and Troika – at Hawkesbury, but intends missing the NSW Jockeys Association 3YO Maiden Plate (1000m) with the former, and heading to the Northern Rivers instead.

The Super Maiden Showcase Handicap (1000m) at Coffs Harbour is the first of the $5m Inglis Bonus Xtra Maiden Series races, and Art’s Alive has drawn well in a capacity field, and will be ridden by Andrew Adkins.

“With a $100,000 bonus for Inglis graduates from 2023 and beyond who are paid up for the Inglis Race Series, it’s impossible to ignore,” Widdup said this morning. “It means the Super Maiden winner will earn $122,000.”

Art’s Alive, a daughter of Snitzel, was a $350,000 purchase for BK Racing & Breeeding Pty Ltd at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale.

Widdup is putting blinkers on Art’s Alive for her Coffs Harbour tilt, and the shades also go back on Troika at Hawkesbury, in the Clarendon Tavern Benchmark 68 Handicap (1100m).

Widdup’s apprentice Zac Wadick rides the gelding, lessening his handicap to 56.5kg.

“Troika raced in blinkers early in his career when trained by Mark Newnham (now based in Hong Kong), but I took them off in January and he won second-up for us at home in February in a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap over tomorrow’s distance,” Widdup said.

“He has worked well in the blinkers, and getting them back on under race conditions hopefully will spark him up.”

Troika has been unplaced in two runs since resuming, but drew the outside barrier and was less than four lengths from the winner World Alliance in a midweek Benchmark 72 Handicap (1000m) at Warwick Farm on July 10 on heavy ground.

Widdup is banking on the Hawkesbury track continuing to improve with no further rain and hopefully getting to a Soft 5 for Party Doll in the Blakes Marine Class 1 Handicap (1000m).

Tyler Schiller will ride the mare, who hasn’t raced since finishing last of six runners in a Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1200m) at Newcastle on June 1. She had run second at her previous start at Hawkesbury on May 14 in a Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1100m) after drawing one from the outside barrier.

“It was very heavy at Newcastle, and she didn’t appear comfortable at all,” Widdup said. “I gave her a couple of weeks out in a paddock after that, and she’s fresh for the 1000m tomorrow.

“An improving track definitely will help her.”

Party Doll this morning was a $4.80 TAB second favorite behind Still Alice ($2.50), whilst Troika was an $8.50 chance for the Provincial Benchmark 68.

Aside from Troika, Zac Wadick, who has had a breakout season with 63 winners (prior to today’s Warwick Farm closer), has four other Hawkesbury bookings. He rides Jawharat Dubai ($2.60 favourite) for Annabel Neasham, In Iso (Wayne Seelin-$14), Our Lady Stardust (Garry Frazer-$12), and Valiancy (Ciaron Maher-$7).

Widdup’s impressive Rosehill Gardens July 20 winner Jedibeel is having a short break, and will have another week out before going back into work.

“We’ll look at races such as The Warra (1000m) at The Gong meeting at Kembla Grange, and [Listed] Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens later in the year,” Widdup said.

2023-24 HAWKESBURY PREMIERSHIPS
TRAINERS
Chris Waller - 13
Peter & Paul Snowden - 12
Annabel Neasham - 10
Brad Widdup - 9
James Cummings - 9
Gerald Ryan/Sterling Alexiou - 8

JOCKEYS
Zac Lloyd (a) - 14.5
Tyler Schiller - 14
Kerrin McEvoy - 14
Jason Collett - 12
Keagan Latham - 10
Tommy Berry - 9

APPRENTICES
Zac Lloyd - 14.5
Anna Roper - 6
Dylan Gibbons - 3
Zac Wadick - 3
Molly Bourke - 3

The rail is out 2m from the 1100m to 450m for the opening meeting of a new season, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit.

Course manager Kyle Cassim posted a Soft 6 rating this morning with a penetrometer reading of 5.43. No rain has been recorded in the past 24 hours, but 18.5mm has fallen in the last week.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Hawkesbury here