THURSDAY: June 30, 2022: EIGHT winners in just under three weeks – Brad Widdup didn’t want June to end!
Hawkesbury’s leading trainer capped a tremendous month when his promising three-year-old The Himalayas made it two in a row at his home track today.
And Brad is adamant The Himalayas is a much better racing proposition now that he has been gelded, and just as adamant he can make his mark in town.
“He needed to be gelded, and it has made such a difference,” Brad said.
“I have liked him all along, and feel sure he will eventually manage up to 1600m.”
Since being gelded after his first two starts, the Zoustar three-year-old, a $140,000 Adelaide yearling purchase for Zhongli Thoroughbreds, has been successful at both appearances.
After scoring impressively when resuming at home on June 12, he comfortably made the transition to Class 1 company today.
With Jean Van Overmeire serving a suspension, Hugh Bowman took over on The Himalayas and gave him a perfect run in transit in the Lander Toyota Class 1 Handicap (1300m) before he burst clear over the closing stages to put his seal on the race.
Bowman eased up near the post as the lightly-raced gelding comfortably defeated $20 chance Xpresso and another Hawkesbury representative, Garry Frazer’s Tocomah ($7).
Brad considers The Himalayas is ready to be tested in town over a longer trip than today’s 1300m, and is eyeing a 3YO Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m) at Royal Randwick on July 23.
This was the trainer’s eighth winner in the last two and a half weeks, shooting him well past his previous best 51 winners in his first full season of training in 2017-18.
The Himalayas started the run at Hawkesbury on June 12, and Brad subsequently chalked up doubles at Goulburn (June 17) and Kembla Grange (June 18), along with Ausbred Bluebird at Newcastle (June 25) and Brimstone on the Kensington track yesterday.