PHILIPSBURG PAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

SATURDAY: April 12, 2025: HOLIDAYS never seemed so good!

It’s school vacation time in New South Wales, and Hawkesbury trainer James Ponsonby decided to head north with his family.

Seven-year-old gelding Philipsburg went along for the ride – and provided Ponsonby with a Brisbane breakthrough at Doomben today.

Ridden by the trainer’s most successful jockey Winona Costin, $13 chance Philipsburg arrived in the nick of time to land the Benchmark 80 Handicap (2200m) at the rain-shortened metropolitan meeting.

Philipsburg nudged out another NSW visitor, Armidale-trained $4.20 favorite So You Are, to post his ninth success; all for Ponsonby, who bought him online for $20,000 in October 2020.

“I decided when I made up my mind to train thoroughbreds that I would buy stock by proven sires,” Ponsonby, a successful harness racing trainer-driver of near two decades, said this evening.

“When I worked for Mark Newnham (now successfully domiciled in Hong Kong) at his Warwick Farm base, he had a good horse Lanciato, who had the same sire (Per Incanto) as Philipsburg.

“I knew Philipsburg had one unplaced start at Ellerslie in New Zealand as a two-year-old in late 2019, and was put on the market after three trials in Queensland.

“He was a bit fiery, but was worth a gamble for only $20,000.

“Philipsburg has been a wonderful horse for us (the trainer’s wife Keryn is a part-owner), and I thought he was nicely placed with only 52kg in Brisbane.

“There was nothing really suitable for him in Sydney during carnival time, other than midweek.

“It might have been good luck rather than good management, but he has paid for our holidays.”

Well-travelled Philipsburg’s nine wins have been on eight tracks – two at Rosehill Gardens along with Moruya, Albury, Muswellbrook, Kembla Grange, Canterbury, Warwick Farm and of course Doomben.

He has now earned nearly $570,000 – and there may be more to come next Saturday.

“Most likely we’ll all stay up here for another week,” Ponsonby said.

“There is a suitable race (a Benchmark 90 Handicap over the same 2200m) for Philipsburg at Eagle Farm next Saturday.”

Ponsonby was delighted Winona Costin made the trip to Brisbane to clinch her 23rd win for the stable.

“Winona was offered the ride on Sydney Cup runner-up Waltham, but had made a commitment to ride Philipsburg, and she always keeps her word,” he said.

Philipsburg would have been unlucky not to have won.

Racing Queensland stewards reported he began awkwardly, and Costin was obliged to alter course at a crucial stage near the 200m.

Philipsburg shifted in under pressure over the concluding stages and bumped the runner-up on the line.