WEDNESDAY: February 19, 2025: HAWKESBURY’S leading trainer Brad Widdup has qualified three horses for each of the last two PolyTrack Provincial-Midway Championships Finals – though success has so far eluded him.
He’s won the last two Qualifiers at his home track with Phearson in 2023 and Short Shorts last year.
Now he’s having another crack this year, beginning his campaign at home tomorrow with Hasty Honey (Tyler Schiller) in the 1400m opener of six Qualifiers prior to the Wyong Wild Card (1350m) on March 29.
And he has expressed surprise at the lightly-raced mare’s early odds of $31 with TAB.com.au.
“Hasty Honey was unlucky not to have won the Listed Woodlands Stakes (1100m) on debut at the Scone carnival in 2023, and was placed in the Group 3 JHB Carr Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick last April behind Konasana and Scarlet Oak,” Widdup said this morning.
“Then she wasn’t far away when sixth to Schwarz in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) before going for a spell.
“Hasty Honey has been improved by two runs back at 1200m and 1300m, and the 1400m tomorrow is more suitable.
“I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t run well.”
Widdup qualified Cross The Rubicon (third at $101) along with Short Shorts and Phearson for the 2023 Final, and Short Shorts, Ausbred Flirt and Ruby Flyer (all Qualifying winners) last year.
This year’s $1m Final (1400m) will be run at Royal Randwick on April 12, with the first two placegetters tomorrow securing early places.
“Hopefully we will also have horses such as Autumn Of Colours and High Dandy also contesting subsequent Qualifiers,” Widdup said.
A $140,000 purchase at the 2022 Inglis Classic yearling sale, four-year-old Epaulette mare Hasty Honey is raced by good supporters Adrian Whittingham and family along with Adrian Britt.
Her two wins to date have been at 1400m at Kembla Grange and 1600m at Newcastle.
If Hasty Honey isn’t first past the post, Widdup still has a terrific chance to post his 400th career winner with the promising Sunset Park (Alysha Collett) in the final race, the Clarendon Tavern Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (2200m).
The beautifully-bred four-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars, who also races in the Hasty Honey colours, has started only twice, and broke through last time in a Maiden Plate (1600m) at Kembla Grange on February 8.
Sunset Park this morning was a $1.85 favorite with TAB.com.au, and her trainer says he is “really happy” with her, and expects her to be hard to beat.
Premiership winning Kembla Grange trainers Rob and Luke Price have Fugitiva ($18) in tomorrow’s PMC Qualifier, and the father and son team also is looking to her to run well.
Keagan Latham, who has been aboard the mare in two of her three wins, will ride Fugitiva 1kg over at 55kg.
“Obviously it would have been nice for the mare to carry her correct weight, but Keagan knows her well and we’re happy to have him on,” Luke Price said this morning.
“She didn’t have the best of luck first-up when fifth at Randwick over 1300m, and has won second-up before.
“Fugitiva won three of her seven starts last campaign, including second-up at Hawkesbury, and keeps getting better with each run.
“She has drawn well enough and if she gets the right run, there’s no reason why she won’t be in the finish.”
. The rail is in the TRUE position, and a “Good 4” rating was posted at 8am today, with a penetrometer reading of 5.2. Hawkesbury has received 10mm of rain in the last seven days, but nil in the past 24 hours. A total of 4mm of irrigation was put on the track in the same period, but nothing in the previous 24 hours.
The eight-race program begins at 1.20pm, with the PMC Qualifier scheduled for 5.00pm.
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