HE'S "IN THE MONEY" AGAIN

Image: Bradley Photos

SUNDAY: March 16, 2025: PERHAPS he should be called Money Train instead of Money Team!

So much so that the former Victorian four-year-old, unbeaten in four starts for leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup, now is right on course on the second line of betting at $11 for the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.

A 2022 $1m Inglis Australian Easter yearling who failed to score in five starts (but was placed in four, coincidentally the first at Gosford) for successful Melbourne trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Money Team was purchased online in May last year by Brad Widdup Racing on behalf of former Gosford trainer Adrian Britt for $55,000.

His victory in yesterday’s fourth PMC Qualifier (1200m) at Gosford boosted his earnings to nearly $140,000 for his new connections.

And Widdup says it has a lot to do with the unkindest cut of all.

“Being by I Am Invincible out of a So You Think mare (The Pinnacle), we tried to keep him a colt when we put him into work,” Widdup explained today.

“But something kept going wrong, and I recommended to his owners that we had no option but to geld him.

“There hasn’t been any problem with him since.”

After winning a 900m trial at Rosehill Gardens on December 10, Widdup kicked off Money Team, minus blinkers, at Wyong on January 26 and he duly landed a Maiden Plate (1200m).

Further victories in a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m) at Wyong on February 12 and Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) at Hawkesbury 15 days later followed before he stepped up to Gosford’s PMC Qualifier.

A well fancied $4 second favorite, Money Team jumped well from a near outside barrier, was eased back worse than midfield, tracked up strongly approaching the home turn and let down strongly in the straight to comfortably defeat $2.45 favorite Mogul Monarch.

Widdup’s apprentice Zac Wadick has partnered Money Team in all four wins, and is in the running to retain the mount in the PMC Final, though no decision has been made.

“I’d like to see Zac get the chance, but the decision is up to the owners,” Widdup said.

As for Money Team, Widdup says he probably won’t start him again before the Final.

“I’m mindful of the fact that he has already had the four runs, but so far he is handling everything well,” he said.

“Most likely I will trial him on the Tuesday in the week prior to the Final (April 1).

“And I feel he will manage 1400m because he relaxes so well.”

Widdup qualified three horses (Phearson, Short Shorts and Ausbred Flirt) for last year’s Final, and hasn’t given up hope of adding more stablemates to join Money Team this year.

High Dandy will run either in Thursday’s Newcastle Qualifier (1400m) or Saturday’s Kembla Grange Qualifier (1400m), whilst Colours Of Autumn will try to secure one of the last three spots in the Wild Card (1350m) at Wyong on March 29.

 . Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Ed O’Rourke won his second race of the season when lightly-raced filly Channelling scored at last Friday’s Kembla Grange Classic meeting.

Ridden by Tyler Schiller, Channelling ($1.85 favorite) edged out Newcastle trainer John Bannister’s Jason Darren ($11) in a tight finish to the Provincial Maiden Plate (1400m).

The three-year-old daughter of dual Group 1 winner Impending (2017 Stradbroke Handicap and 2018 Kingsford-Smith Cup) was purchased for $60,000 by O’Rourke at the 2023 Inglis Classic yearling sale Highway session.