Latest News

By John Curtis

Hawkesbury's leading trainer Brad Widdup is seeking his 60th success at home on Thursday.

And his best chance of doing that shapes clearly as impressive debutante winner Young Mister Grace ($2.60 into $2.30 TAB favourite), who lines up in the XXXX Gold CG&E Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

Of his 427 career wins, Newcastle has been Widdup’s winningest track to date with 60 victories.

Young Mister Grace (Dylan Gibbons) coasts home at Hawkesbury. Image by Bradley Photographers

Young Mister Grace, a three-year-old Anders colt, can equal that for his trainer when he attempts to double up on his Super Maiden Plate (1000m) victory at home on September 25 when he had 3¼-lengths to spare on his rivals as a well-supported $1.50 hotpot.

The horse is named after one of the stars of Are You Being Served, the popular British sitcom of the 1970s-80s, the equine Young Mister Grace.

And the colt carries the same colours as now retired multiple Group 1 winner Think It Over, and was bred by his owner Richard Johnston.

He is the first horse Widdup has prepared for Johnston and gave Young Mister Grace two nice trials as a two-year-old, but held off sending him to the races.

“Young Mister Grace had trialled twice this campaign, and I expected him to run well at his debut,” Widdup said this morning. “He has since trained on well.

“There was a Class 1 Handicap (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday, but I’m happy to stay at home with him for the Benchmark 64.

“I don’t think there is much difference in the two races in any case. Time will tell of course, but I’m hoping the potential is there for him to go on to better races.”

Dylan Gibbons rode Young Mister Grace in his Hawkesbury debut and has the mount again tomorrow.

Young Mister Grace has drawn the rails barrier for his assignment and is presently the TAB favourite.

Rival trainer Peter Snowden’s three-year-old Caesar, who also scored on debut at Gosford in July as another hotpot ($1.45), is $3.30 second favourite in an $8.50 bar two market.

The Capitalist colt has been placed at both recent Randwick trials (740m on September 16 and 1045m 10 days later) in preparation for his resumption, and will race in a nose roll for the first time.

Widdup will split his dual acceptors, three-year-old fillies The Biv and Yeszem, for their debuts.

Christian Reith will ride The Biv ($26), part-owned by Hawkesbury Race Club chief executive James Heddo, in the Richmond Club Super Maiden Handicap (1000m) and Tyler Schiller partners Yeszem ($7) in the Brad Widdup Provincial Maiden Plate (1100m).

Widdup not only beat all comers to become the first local trainer to snare last season’s Hawkesbury premiership, but also was the most successful provincial trainer with 41 winners.

“It’s all about getting The Biv to the races tomorrow,” Widdup said. “It will be good education for her.

“Yeszem (a daughter of 2019 The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes) won her latest trial 845m trial at Wyong on September 8. She goes okay, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her run well, especially having drawn the inside gate.”

Widdup’s other runner is Aleutian (Reith-$34) in the Pioneer Services Maiden Handicap (1300m). The North Pacific filly has been unplaced in both provincial starts and races in the Mulberry colours of Widdup’s forthcoming $20m The Everest representative Jedibeel.

The rail is 2m out from the 1100m to 450m for tomorrow’s meeting and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit.

A Good 4 rating was posted this morning, with 35mm of irrigation put on the track in the past seven days, 7mm of it in the 24 hours to 8am. The seven-race program begins at 1.50pm.

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