THURSDAY: February 13, 2025: HE is the money again, as the Provincial-Midway Championships loom on the radar.

Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup is giving the PMC series much consideration for newcomer Money Team, who made it two wins from as many starts for his stable at his home track yesterday.

A $2.05 favorite, Money Team turned in an impressive performance to take the Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m) after Newcastle’s Power Of The Brave ($4.40) had established what appeared to be a winning break with only 100m to go.

Even allowing for the fact that Power Of The Brave’s rider Ben Osmond dropped his whip near the 250m, former Victorian four-year-old Money Team kept coming to the line and defeated Wyong’s Annie’s Rose ($4.80).

Power Of The Brave was swamped in the last few strides and ran third.

Brad this morning pointed out why the Provincial-Midway Championships are worth giving plenty of thought to in regard to his lightly-raced gelding.

“Money Team had a break of seven weeks between his trial at Rosehill Gardens on December 10 and when he won first-up at Wyong on Australia Day,” he said.

“I had wanted to give him a second trial, but the trials were either washed out or he was balloted out.

“Then he came back from 1200m at Wyong to 1100m at Hawkesbury, so there was certainly added merit to his effort.

“I’ll definitely think seriously about the PMC series as I believe he will be even better suited at 1400m.”

Brad gave credit to former Gosford trainer Adrian Britt, who found Money Team for sale online last May and manages the syndicate, including the trainer and his wife Milissa’s son Cooper, which races him.

“Money Team was a $1m buy at the 2022 Australian Easter yearling sale,” Brad said.

“He had five starts in Victoria and was placed in four of them.

“We were able to get him for $55,000, and basically there wasn’t anything wrong with him.

“We decided to geld him after we bought him, and I’m sure it has made quite a difference.

“Whereas before he may not have had that strong will to win, his Hawkesbury performance showed that he is a different horse now.”

Money Team was Brad’s 41st winner of the season, and the 32nd for stable apprentice Zac Wadick, who needs only one more to reach a career 150.