FAMOUS COLOURS LEAD TRIO OF LOCAL WINS

THURSDAY: May 21, 2026: JASON Attard scored with a famous set of colours, Ed O’Rourke was back in the winning list, and Brad Widdup is giving his home track premiership defence the best shot.

The trio’s winners at home at Hawkesbury today boosted the number prepared so far this season by the local training base to 141.

Attard made it 14 wins for the season when lightly-raced Fitzclarence ($9) broke through in the Turfmate International 3YO Maiden Handicap (1300m), O’Rourke clinched his third for the season when Pawa ($12) led throughout in the Syngenta Trefinti Provincial Maiden Handicap (1600m), and Widdup’s season tally went to 52 (and a career 470) after Whoa ($3.20 favorite) made it two in a row, in the Elite Sand & Soil Class 1 Handicap (1300m).

It may have gone unnoticed by many, but Attard’s Fitzclarence, a three-year-old son of Cox Plate winner Adelaide, carried the same colours worn by 1984 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Inspired.

Jill Nivison, who races Fitzclarence, and her late husband Simon (who passed away in 1997) shared in the ownership of Inspired when he won the world’s richest two-year-old classic at Rosehill Gardens.

“I’m very fortunate to train for both Jill and her daughter Kate (Etak Thoroughbreds),” Attard said this evening.

“I have had a couple of placings with Jill’s other runner Dwight, and Fitzclarence is my first winner for her.

“She lives at Walcha, and I spoke with her on the phone.

“Rory (Hutchings) wore a new set of silks, but the colours are definitely the same as Darren Beadman wore winning the Golden Slipper all those years ago.

“Fitzclarence was having only his third start today, and I might give him a break now.

“I think he is going to make a nice ‘miler’ in time.

“He got a bit revved up at his first start at home, and the trip to Kembla Grange next time helped mature him.

“He spun a plate in the tie-up stalls when I was saddling him, and the farrier quickly sorted it out.

“It’s been a really good season for me, and hopefully there’s a few more to come.”

Ed O’Rourke has had only a dozen runners (for three placings) since scoring with Channelling at Kembla Grange on December 11, and was understandably pleased to get back into the winning list with Pawa, owned by Walter Power.

“It has taken quite a lot of hard work to get Pawa right, and full credit to our staff,” O’Rourke said.

“He had taken noticeable improvement from his first start since October when sixth at Goulburn on April 27, and I was quietly confident he was ready to run well, so it was good to see him lead all the way

“I feel we can get him up to 2000m this preparation.”

O’Rourke put both a cross-over nose band and bubble cheeker (off side) on the Tosen Stardom three-year-old, who was racing for only the fifth time.

Brad Widdup, last season’s Hawkesbury premiership winner, has moved to 11 wins at home for the season – one ahead of Chris Waller.

He won’t forget his first trip to Perth for the 2024 Magic Millions yearling sale when he purchased four youngsters on behalf of major client Mulberry Racing.

Whoa Nellie ($180,000) is one of them, the others are Bondi Blossom, Seven Days and Azure Angel – all four have won – and the filly successfully made the step from breaking through on the new Illawarra Grange track earlier in the month to also prove herself in Class 1 company.

Ridden by Tyler Schiller, the three-year-old daughter of Deep Field always travelled like a winner and was too good at only her fourth start.

“She has always shown ability, and is getting better with each run,” Widdup said.

“We’ll keep going with her, and I feel she will handle further than today’s 1300m.

“We’re having a good little run at present, and great to be winning races for Mulberry.”

Widdup has sent his smart mare Hyperbolic north to line up at Doomben on Saturday.

Tommy Berry will ride the last start Hawkesbury stand-alone runner-up in the Group 3 Magic Millions F&M Mile (1600m).