WEDNESDAY: February 18, 2026: UNLIKE some trainers Jason Attard doesn’t weigh his horses. Instead he is happy to go by the eye – and his eye is telling him ruling Provincial-Midway Championships Final favorite Oui Oui Oui is “pretty good”. The talented Yes Yes Yes mare begins her PMC campaign at home tomorrow in the opening 1400m Qualifier for both eligible provincial and Midway-trained horses, with the first two placegetters automatically securing “free tickets” to the $1m F

TUESDAY: February 17, 2026: BRAD Widdup’s breakthrough with hotpot Waerea at Kembla Grange capped a good day for Hawkesbury’s leading trainer. Having only his third start following two seconds at his first racing preparation, the Bivouac three-year-old’s victory in the Provincial Maiden Plate (1400m) was narrow but impressive. Sent out as a $1.40 favorite, the younger half-brother to now retired triple Group 1 winner Duais sustained a long run from just after leaving the 600m

MONDAY: February 16, 2026: USUALLY it’s a case of win and you’re in! But not on this occasion. Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup called a halt to Pro Velocity’s campaign after she scored on Newcastle’s Beaumont track today. Ridden by Christian Reith, the four-year-old daughter of Proisir and High Chaparral mare High Spin was sent out at $6 and outgamed Stormzino ($3.10 second favorite) in the Class 1/Maiden Plate (2100m) at the country TAB meeting. “That’s it,” Widdup

SUNDAY: February 15, 2026: BRAD Widdup is confident his dual Group 2 winner Savvy Hallie is ready to prove herself at both 1400m and achieve Group 1 glory in the process. Hawkesbury’s leading trainer, understandably thrilled with Savvy Hallie’s defeat of hotpot Apocalyptic in yesterday’s Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at set weights at Royal Randwick yesterday, is ready to give the sometimes unacclaimed filly her chance to rise to the top at racing’s elite level in Saturday wee

SUNDAY: February 15, 2026: STEVE O’Halloran’s Royal Randwick breakthrough yesterday with stable star Mal Coupe ticked one box – with an assurance that another important one can soon be ticked as well. The Hawkesbury trainer’s first-up victory with $3.40 favorite Mal Coupe – the gelding extended his picket fence to four wins – in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1000m) - carried extra significance as he spent 17 years at headquarters as one of Gai Waterhouse’s trusted lieuten

THURSDAY: February 12, 2026: STEVE O’Halloran waited a week, he’s got the champion jockey on his side and a good barrier to boot. Decent rain if it arrives would be the icing on the cake for Mal Coupe’s return at Royal Randwick on Saturday as he strives to extend his picket fence to four wins. Nonetheless, the skilled Hawkesbury horseman believes his young sprinter will still be hard to beat even on a good surface. Mal Coupe resumes in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1000m)

THURSDAY: February 12, 2026: BRAD Widdup is leaving nothing to chance in his bid to add a second Melbourne Group 1 to his resume. Hawkesbury’s leading trainer has sent his top sprinter Jedibeel to Melbourne early for Saturday week’s $750,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield. And he has got in early to book Melbourne gun Damian Lane for the mount. Widdup’s breakthrough Group 1 winner was with Icebath in the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) against her own sex at Flemington in 202

SUNDAY: February 8, 2026: RULING Provincial-Midway Championships favorite Oui Oui Oui is ready to make an early statement after a brilliant barrier trial performance during the week. Ridden by her race jockey Tom Sherry, the four-year-old daughter of 2019 The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes showed she is bang on track for the series by overpowering her rivals in a 1207m heat at Warwick Farm last Tuesday. Encouraged by her display, Hawkesbury trainer Jason Attard says the mare is r

FRIDAY: February 6, 2026: FOUR TIMES city winner Lady Extreme begins what may be her last campaign at Royal Randwick tomorrow. And the six-year-old mare’s Hawkesbury trainer Blake Ryan has set his sights on securing black type with her before the curtain comes down. Lady Extreme resumes in the Benchmark 94 Handicap (1000m) for what Ryan is hoping will be a lengthy though spaced out preparation, including the Brisbane winter carnival. Whilst Lady Extreme (Jay Ford) lines up in

THURSDAY: February 5, 2026: WILL it be second time lucky? Hawkesbury husband and wife trainers Mitch and Desiree Kearney through a mix-up missed out on snaring a $400,000 Pink Bonus with their filly Sheeza Diva at last year’s Inglis Millennium at Royal Randwick. But they’re back this year – and there are no mess-ups this time with Oh Yes She Did in Saturday’s $2m feature for two-year-olds at headquarters. However, whereas Sheeza Diva would have collected the $400,000 even tho

SUNDAY: February 1, 2026: JACK Pilkington says Alabama State is “like family”. Understandably so given the Alabama Express four-year-old has provided him with his four career victories; the latest at Rosehill Gardens yesterday when he overcame the outside barrier and gave weight to all his rivals. Jockey James McDonald couldn’t get cover on the gelding, who started a $4.60 third favorite in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1350m), but it mattered not as he burst to the front

JANUARY 31, 2026: FABIO Martino never doubted he could get a breakthrough victory in town with Tokyo Star. It’s been a few years in the making, but it came true at Canterbury last night. The 33-year-old Hawkesbury trainer put his name up in lights in town when Tokyo Star ($4.60), given a superb Tommy Berry ride, took the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1900m). It was Martino’s 14 th  career success and third with Tokyo Star – and understandably it meant a lot to him. “I have always be