WEDNESDAY: January 7, 2026: BLAKE Ryan has a particular explanation for why he likes training fillies and mares! “They might be only 80 per cent, but will give you 100 per cent every time,” the Hawkesbury trainer said this evening after scoring with Heaven Bound at Warwick Farm. “They’re tough and I enjoy training them.” Ryan’s victory with Heaven Bound ($10) in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) for mares four-year-old and upwards was his fourth (her career tally stands at si

TUESDAY: January 6, 2026: LIGHTLY-RACED filly Rule Of Faith’s breakthrough victory at Orange today had a real local flavour about it. Hawkesbury trainer Steve O’Halloran was understandably pleased to score with the Hellbent three-year-old at $19, even if the result wasn’t so popular with punters. Having only her fourth start and ridden by Mitchell Bell, Rule Of Faith upset fancied pair Sharbino ($3.30 favorite) and Sinister ($3.90) in the Maiden Plate (1400m). Rule Of Faith i

SUNDAY: January 4, 2026: MARC Chevalier says he had almost forgotten the “sweet feeling” winning a race evoked! Thankfully that came back at Royal Randwick yesterday for the Hawkesbury trainer when he broke a 14-month drought – and did it in style with a mare could very easily have been approaching motherhood instead. In doing so, Chevalier led a Hawkesbury foursome, with Jason Attard, Matt Vella and Ed Cummings also all posting victories at Kembla Grange’s provincial meeting

FRIDAY: January 2, 2026: IRRESPECTIVE of how many winners Terry Croft trains this season, he will hold a record which can’t be matched. The long-standing Hawkesbury trainer’s first-up victory with Royal Corporal at Canterbury yesterday meant that he has trained both the provincial track’s first winner of the season and first of the new calendar year. Croft had scored with Zoutastic at the Forbes Cup meeting on August 3. He clinched his fourth success of the season in winning

THURSDAY: January 1, 2026: TOMMY Wong’s New Year’s Eve “gift” came in the form of his breakthrough 2025-26 season winner at Nowra yesterday. The Hawkesbury trainer won the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m) with new recruit Platinum Gift. Ridden by Louis Beuzelin, the $8 chance overcame a wide run to defeat Itszarbaby ($2.90 favorite) and Gooloo Bucky ($10). It was Wong’s 49 th  career victory and the Hawkesbury training base’s 80 th  this season. Platinum Gift, a four-year-old so

SUNDAY: December 28, 2025: HAWKESBURY’S opening heat of the 2026 Provincial-Midway Championships is likely to attract talented local mare Oui Oui Oui. The Yes Yes Yes four-year-old remained unbeaten this campaign with her third win on end at Royal Randwick yesterday, boosting her already imposing record to five victories from only nine starts. Trainer Jason Attard is yet to have a closer look at the PMC series program, but hinted last night that his home track 1400m Qualifier

FRIDAY: December 26, 2025: THE master and his apprentice were both Boxing Day winners – but on different tracks. Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup produced a winning debutante on Newcastle’s inner Beaumont track, whilst Poppie Gorton ventured a little further afield to win a race at Quirindi. Widdup made it 30 wins for the season when newcomer Levelling Up ($4.40) got his career off to a flyer, and Gorton rode her sixth winner (and first for an outside stable). Levelli

MONDAY: December 22, 2025: BLAKE Ryan says there is no alternative but to “have a throw at the stumps” with his first-up home track winner Heaven Bound. Thus the Hawkesbury trainer will give the five-year-old daughter of Pierro the opportunity to chase black type in Sunday’s $300,000 Group 3 Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford. Heaven Bound returned in fine style by winning a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1500m) at Hawkesbury on December 14 at her first start sinc

MONDAY: December 22, 2025: BRAD Widdup has finalised jockeys for both his Magic Millions Sunlight Plate runners, who will trial at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow. Tommy Berry has been booked for Savvy Hallie, and Tyler Schiller for Nashville Jack. The $3m MM Sunlight Plate (1100m) will be run at the Gold Coast on January 10 as a feature of the twilight meeting. Berry will partner the three-year-old stablemates in separate 900m trials at Rosehill. Hawkesbury’s leading trainer has a