HEDDO HOPING TO GO OUT A WINNER ON HOME TRACK

WEDNESDAY: July 1, 2026: RETIRING Hawkesbury Race Club chief executive James Heddo says it would be a “special thrill” if he can win the race named after him at his home track tomorrow.

The popular administrator, who officiates at his last meeting before finishing his four-year tenure on July 17, part-owns Squeezebox, who lines up in the Good Luck James Heddo Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m).

 “I’ve raced horses with Squeezebox’s trainer Kim Waugh for more than 20 years,” he said today.

“Kim has done a terrific job with Squeezebox, who is a great advertisement for racing fans wanting to get involved in horse ownership courtesy of tried horses being sold online.

“She purchased the former Godolphin owned gelding for $47,500 in April last year through Inglis Digital.

“Squeezebox had raced 10 times for his former trainer James Cummings, and he has since won a race and been placed eight times.

“Buying a sound tried horse who hadn’t had a lot of racing has offered a lot of fun for us.

“Squeezebox is very consistent, and is racing well.

“Importantly, he is a winner over the 1600m at Hawkesbury, having been successful in a Super Maiden Handicap at the Evergreen Turf Ladies Day Cup meeting in November 2024.”

Squeezebox scored over 1400m on the new Illawarra Grange track on May 30, and has since been placed over 1600m at Gosford and 1500m at Hawkesbury.

Leading provincial jockey Keagan Latham (60.5 wins so far this season) has partnered the gelding at his last three starts, and again has the mount.

In an open Benchmark 64, Squeezebox this morning was at $6.50 with TAB.com.au, with the Bjorn Baker-trained My Shareena (Jean Van Overmeire) heading the market at $4.80, narrowly ahead of leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup’s recent easy Gosford winner Satono Jasmine ($5).

With Chad Schofield heading back to his native South Africa to ride in the Durban July at the weekend, Tyler Schiller takes over on the three-year-old filly.

Satono Jasmine is one of seven acceptors for Widdup, striving to win his home track premiership for a second year running.

With only two meetings remaining (this and July 19), he holds a two-win lead over Chris Waller, who also has seven acceptors.

Apart from Satono Jasmine and Longinus (Christian Reith) in the Good Luck James Heddo Benchmark 64, Widdup’s Hawkesbury runners are first starter Viva Macaco (Family Funday 19 July 2YO Maiden Handicap, 1000m), Room For Pudd (St Johns Park Bowling Club Maiden Plate, 1600m), Seven Days (Noelene Turner Memorial Class 1 Handicap, 1000m), and Mind Ya Bizz and Don’tcallmekathy (Brad Widdup Racing Provincial Class 1 Handicap, 1400m).

As with Heddo, Widdup obviously would also like to win his race, and considers Mind Ya Bizz clearly the pick of his pair.

Tyler Schiller rides Mind Ya Bizz, and stable apprentice Leeshelle Small has the mount on Don’tcallmekathy.

“Mind Ya Bizz is racing really well this campaign, and has trained on nicely since winning a Gosford Maiden (1200m) on June 18,” Widdup said.

“Don’tcallmekathy hasn’t raced since breaking through at Bathurst last October, and we’re getting her going again.”

Interestingly, Widdup and Waller both have two early favorites; the former with Mind Ya Bizz ($2.30) and a resuming Seven Days ($3.50), and the latter has Pink Persuasion ($1.80) and Claudel ($3.40).

. Hawkesbury course manager Digby Nuthall at 8.17am today posted a ‘Soft 7’ rating for tomorrow’s eight-race program, which begins at 12.15pm. The rail is 4m out from the 1100m to 450m, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit. Only 0.5mm of rain was recorded in the previous 24 hours, and a total of 10.5mm in the previous seven days.