SUNDAY: March 31, 2024: HAWKESBURY’S leading trainer Brad Widdup has succeeded in qualifying the only three horses he has started for the Provincial-Midway Championships Final.
Even better, the trio – Short Shorts, Ruby Flyer and Ausbred Flirt – all won their respective Qualifiers, culminating with the latter’s success in the 1350m heat at Wyong yesterday.
Now it’s up to jockey Alysha Collett to decide her $1m Final (1400m) ride at Royal Randwick on Saturday week, having won the Hawkesbury Qualifier (1400m) on March 9 on Short Shorts and then Ausbred Flirt.
“I’ll leave it to Alysha to choose whichever mare she wants to ride,” Brad said today.
“She knows both mares well, so I’m happy for her to make the decision.”
Brad also qualified three horses for last year’s Final (won by Spangler on a heavy track), and his $101 outsider Cross The Rubicon did best in finishing third.
Short Shorts ($6) wasn’t comfortable on the wet ground and finished a creditable fifth, whilst Phearson ($19) ran 13th.
Brad understandably is looking forward to saddling another three Finalists on Saturday week in what he considers is a “very open race”.
“It looks to be a really strong Final, and all my horses go there in really good form,” he said.
“Whereas Short Shorts and Ausbred Flirt are better on top of the ground, our Kembla Grange winner Ruby Flyer relishes a wet track.”
Alysha Collett gave Ausbred Flirt ($3.50 favorite) a perfect run from her inside draw and produced her at the right time on straightening to post her sixth win at her 17th start.
The five-year-old daughter of Maurice led home a Hawkesbury quinella, defeating Edward Cummings’ Group 1 placegetter Strait Acer ($5), who snatched second placing on the post from Newcastle’s Angara ($26), who had made a bold bid for victory up front.
Brad had held Ausbred Flirt back for yesterday’s Wyong race, choosing not to start her at Kembla Grange a week earlier because of the heavy track, and successfully relied on Ruby Flyer.
In the latest TAB.com.au market on the PMC Final, Ausbred Flirt is at $11 and Ruby Flyer and Short Shorts are both rated $17 chances.
Brad won’t accept with stablemate Phearson for Saturday’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick, and instead will nominate him for Friday’s $150,000 Big Dance Eligibility Muswellbrook Cup (1500m).
“We’ll have a look at the nominations, but there’s a good chance Phearson will go to Muswellbrook,” he said.
. Ausbred Flirt was Brad’s 46th winner of the season, and Hawkesbury’s 130th since August 1.