WEDNESDAY: July 20, 2022: RETIREMENT from the track is beckoning for much-travelled mare Icecrusher.
But not before the rising eight-year-old added a city victory in a third State to her resume when successful on the Kensington track today.
It was tight, but jockey Kerrin McEvoy got $2.50 favorite Icecrusher home in almost the last bound from a gallant Notions ($4.20) in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1550m) against her own sex.
A well-bred mare by the Giant’s Causeway stallion Frost Giant (a Group 3 winner in Ireland in 2006 at his only start) from the now deceased Montjeu mare Lady Jeumont, Icecrusher was having her 50th start and notched her 10th victory (along with 13 placings).
Not only has she won city races in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, but such is her versatility that her winning distances stretch from 1100m to 1600m.
And all tracks come alike as she has won on good, soft and heavy surfaces.
Icecrusher began her career in the west before being switched to South Australia, and came across to NSW last year with trainer Shayne Cahill.
After three runs, Cahill left her with leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup, who posted his 61st winner of the season.
Winning rider McEvoy, an expatriate South Australian, recommended to Icecrusher’s owners that she go to either Widdup or Newcastle’s Kris Lees – and the former got the nod.
“Icecrusher has run four seconds in Sydney, so she deserved that breakthough today,” Widdup said.
“I have cut back on her work this time, and she has really blossomed in the last few weeks.
“I nearly scratched her from today’s race because of the Heavy 10 rating to wait for a similar class event at Warwick Farm next Wednesday, but she is going so well that I decided not to change our original plan.
“Kerrin probably rode her a bit close at Canterbury a fortnight ago when runner-up to Tawfiq Lass (who won again later on today’s program), and gave her time to settle today when she jumped from the outside barrier in a field of five.
“Icecrusher is likely to have one more run before being retired.
“She could back up next week in that Warwick Farm race, but most likely I will wait a week for another Benchmark 72 Handicap over 1550m at Canterbury, also against her own sex.”
. Icecrusher was the 170th winner trained out of Hawkesbury this season.