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By John Curtis

Experienced Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft has successfully travelled all over the countryside this year to win races with his mare Zoutastic.

Now he figures it’s time to change pace and win one at home on Sunday.

Zoutastic ($5 on TAB) resumes in the Skin Fitness Hair and Beauty Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m), with her trainer hoping this campaign will lead to even richer pickings.

Zoutastic (Chad Lever) parades at Nowra. Image by Bradley Photographers

Croft has done a superb job with the four-year-old daughter of Zousain, whom he purchased for only $5000 at the 2023 Inglis HTBA yearling sale in Sydney and syndicated amongst friends.

Whilst the form guide shows her earnings at just over $91,000 (including a BOBS bonus), that doesn’t tell the full story.

Croft won a $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus with the then three-year-old when she beat representatives from two of Sydney’s major stables (Chris Waller and Bjorn Baker) in a Super Maiden Plate (1200m) at Wagga on Australia Day.

Zoutastic subsequently also won races at the Grafton July carnival and Forbes Cup meeting in August.

Croft has booked apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald to lessen the mare’s weight from 60kg to 58.5kg on Sunday.

“Mollie has an excellent strike rate for me, and her 1.5kg provincial claim will be important,” he said.

From 20 rides for the Hawkesbury trainer, Fitzgerald (whose career tally stands at 169 in only 2¼ years) has won five races and been placed on seven occasions.

The young jockey’s sole association to date with Zoutastic produced a victory in a Class 2 Showcase Handicap (1100m) at Grafton in July.

Croft has prepared the mare for her first-up assignment with an 800m barrier trial success at home on November 17.

Ridden by senior jockey Jean Van Overmeire, Zoutastic shared the lead with fellow Hawkesbury trainer Blake Ryan’s Gosford debut winner Just Awesome, retained the inside running and won well.

“Zoutastic trialled nicely; I was very happy with her,” Croft said. “She has trained on well since, and is ready to go back to the races.

“Unfortunately she drew the outside barrier (in a current field of 11), but has the pace to come across and hopefully sit third or fourth in the run. She doesn’t have to lead to win.”

Whilst Croft understandably isn’t counting his chickens yet, he has a Provincial-Midway Championships agenda in the back of his mind for Zoutastic if she performs to expectations on Sunday.

“I don’t think the 1400m of the Championships is beyond her,” he said. “She ran a strong 1200m at Wagga, and her granddam Apercu (by Encosta De Lago) won a Group 1 over 1600m as a two-year-old at Eagle Farm.”

Sunday’s closer at Hawkesbury won’t lack opposition for Zoutastic from rival local trainers.

Mike Van Gestel has No Statement (apprentice Olivia Chambers-$12), Fabio Martino has Lady Zodiac (Mitchell Bell-$10) and Zambezi River (apprentice Ryan Bradley-$19), Ed Cummings has a resuming Triple Yes (Donovan Dillon-$21), and March Chevalier will be represented by Kev’s Girl (Louis Beuzelin-$31).

Cummings combined with Dillon to land the Provincial Midway Maiden Handicap (1600m) at Gosford yesterday with beautifully-bred O Cara Mia ($2.50 favorite), who broke through at her ninth start after three minor placings.

O Cara Mia overcame difficulties in running, and her breeding suggests she will come into her own as she gets out over further ground.

Cummings paid $140,000 for the daughter of Pierro at the 2023 Inglis Classic yearling sale, and posted his fourth winner of the season.

O Cara Mia’s dam, the Ifraaj mare Araaja, won up to 2000m in France and was placed at 2400m in Listed grade in Australia.

The rail is out 2m from the 1100m to 450m and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit, and racecourse manager Digby Nuthall at 7am today posted a Good 4 rating for the seven-race card which begins at 1.46pm.

A total of 29mm of irrigation (6mm in the previous 24 hours) has been put on the track this week.

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