SUNDAY: January 26, 2025: If at first you don’t succeed, try again – and again!
Third time proved lucky for Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft at Wagga today when he earned connections a $100,000 bonus with a filly he purchased for 1/20th of that amount.
Croft landed the Inglis Xtra Bonus Super Maiden Plate (1200m) with Zoutastic ($6), ridden by Hawkesbury-based Chad Lever.
Because the race was a $50,000 Super Maiden, the three-year-old filly picked up a further $27,625 including a BOBS bonus.
In doing so, Croft bowled over two of Sydney’s major stables, who had the fancied runners Majorca Sunset ($2.60 favorite) and Rach ($3).
Given a perfect ride by Lever who had Zoutastic away smartly for an early lead before taking a trail behind front-runner Insain ($7), she travelled strongly and challenged that horse at the 200m.
Zoutastic took a narrow lead and then comfortable held out Bjorn Baker’s Majorca Sunset and Chris Waller’s Rach.
Croft’s victory capped a big weekend for Hawkesbury trainers, with Brad Widdup winning races at Newcastle yesterday and Wyong today, and Ed O’Rourke also scored at Wyong.
Widdup won with Canny Queen ($19) at Newcastle and new acquisition Money Team ($1.95 favorite) at Wyong, and O’Rourke’s lightly-raced filly Ivana also was a Wyong winner.
Croft has a canny eye for a bargain, and paid only $5000 for the daughter of first season sire Zousain (Group 2 winner and thrice Group 1 placegetter) at the 2023 Inglis HTBA sale in Sydney.
He then syndicated her amongst friends, who now are a long way in front thanks to the popular Hawkesbury mentor.
“When you pay up for the Inglis series races, you may as well have a crack at them when you can,” Croft said en route home late this afternoon.
“This was the third time we have had a go at an Inglis Xtra Bonus race (there are 50 during the current season).
“Zoutastic ran seventh to Point and Shoot (yesterday’s impressive Royal Randwick winner) at Nowra on December 15, and definitely should have finished in the placings that day,” Croft said.
“Then she was a good second to Bengal in another Inglis Xtra Bonus and Super Maiden at Moruya on January 6.
“If we didn’t win at Wagga we intended to take the filly to Ipswich for another Inglis Xtra Bonus race on February 12.
“Now we don’t have to go.”
Zoutastic was Croft’s sixth winner of the season, and Hawkesbury’s second winner of an $100k Inglis Xtra Bonus.
Brad Widdup won the very first one with Art’s Alive at Coffs Harbour on August 2.
Widdup’s weekend double with Canny Queen and Money Team boosted his number of season winners to 36, whilst Ivana’s victory provided her trainer O’Rourke with a season breakthrough.
Widdup had the “luck of the Irish’ riding with him at Newcastle yesterday.
But not so Irish jockey Ronan Whelan, who later was suspended after providing Hawkesbury’s leading trainer with his 35th winner of the season.
Whelan’s vigorous ride got $19 chance Canny Queen home in the Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m) for his second Australian success – and both have been at Newcastle.
He won another Benchmark 64 Handicap, but over 2300m, at Broadmeadow last Tuesday on Final Reset ($5), but fell foul of RacingNSW stewards after scoring on Widdup’s lightly-raced three-year-old daughter of Victoria Derby winner Ace High.
Widdup booked Whelan on the recommendation of Randwick trainer John O’Shea, who also has a second stable at Hawkesbury.
“John gave Ronan a good wrap to me, and he did the job on the filly,” Widdup said today from New Zealand, where he is attending the Karaka yearling sales.
“Canny Queen struck trouble at a vital stage in the straight when resuming at Newcastle recently, and her run was okay.”
Stable apprentice Zac Wadick was aboard $1.95 favorite Money Team when he broke through in the Maiden Plate (1200m) at Wyong at his first start for his new trainer.
Money Team initially fetched $1m as a yearling and had five starts for four placings last year before being onsold and joining Widdup’s stable.
Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Ed O’Rourke welcomed both the new year and his first winner of the season when Ivana (Mitchell Bell) took the opener, the Provincial Maiden Handicap (1350m).
It was only the three-year-old filly’s fourth career start, and O’Rourke put a cross-over nose band on her for the Wyong mission.
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