THURSDAY: August 29, 2024: WHEN you’re hot, you’re hot!
Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup made it 11 wins in the opening month of the season when Fun Sunday ($2.80 favorite) won a deceptive photo-finish to take the Benchmark 64 Handicap (2260m) at Newcastle today.
Even racecaller Phil Roberts thought she had been beaten, and her trainer noted photo-finish results such as that usually went against him.
“It’s a nice change of luck, and it was a really tough effort on Fun Sunday’s part to come from so far back and sustain a long and determined run from before the home turn,” Widdup said.
“She got the bob in on the post at exactly the right time.”
Winning jockey Alysha Collett deserved full marks for never giving up, and her determination helped the mare to nose out Community ($18) in the trickiest of finishes.
Collett is Widdup’s second most successful rider; this being her 33rd winner for him.
Widdup decided to pull Fun Sunday out of a Benchmark 78 Handicap (2400m) at Royal Randwick last Saturday for an easier provincial assignment, and was pleased he had done so.
“I’m sure it was the right move and now, having won two provincial races in a row, she can go to town for hopefully a 2400m benchmark race to try to clinch a hat-trick,” he said.
Of Widdup’s 11 August winners to date, six of them have been for Fun Sunday’s breeder-owner John Cordina under his Summertime Thoroughbreds banner.
Sebring five-year-old Fun Sunday is the first foal of her dam, the Duporth mare Choice Sunday, who didn’t win in 13 starts but was placed twice at Warwick Farm and Newcastle – both at 1300m.
Widdup has now won five races – including one in town over 1900m at Canterbury in June last year – with the mare.
“It’s never easy giving away big starts as she did today, but you can’t bustle her early,” he said.
“You have to let her settle where she is happy, and Alysha really suits her.”
Whilst Widdup has racked up 11 wins already (and is second only to
Chris Waller in the State premiership), he has also prepared 15 placings – and 10 of them have been seconds – from only 35 starters.
Widdup was delighted with his dual Group 3 winner Phearson’s return when third to The Everest second favorite Joliestar in the Show County Quality (1200m) at Royal Randwick last Saturday.
“Josh Parr rode him well, and we’ll look to go next to the Group 2 Theo Marks Quality (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 14,” he said.
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