LOCAL FAVORITE "PRETTY GOOD TO THE EYE" FOR PMC QUALIFIER

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 Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 11 on Day 2 of The Championships.

Whilst it isn’t yet the Hawkesbury trainer’s best ever season, it is certainly his best start with 11 winners so far, and four-year-old mare Oui Oui Oui (Tom Sherry) has contributed three of them.

They have been at her last three starts (two in town in Midway Benchmark 72 Handicaps at Randwick in December).

“It’s never easy to win four in a row,” Attard said this morning.

“But Oui Oui Oui is a naturally pretty fit mare, and definitely not the gross type.

“Her trial at Warwick Farm (she overpowered her rivals in winning a 1207m Open heat on February 3) was as good as I could have wished to see.

“She is in great order, and ready to run well again.

“Any rain wouldn’t be a hindrance either as she has won on soft and heavy ground as well as good tracks.”

Oui Oui Oui (Tom Sherry) this morning was the $3.50 favorite with TAB.com.au for the opening Qualifier, and heading betting at $6 for the Final.

Attard also is looking forward to Oui Oui Oui’s breeder-owner Kate Nivison (Etak Thoroughbreds) visiting his Grose Vale farm today.

“Kate has obviously seen the mare race in Sydney, but this is the first time she has been to the farm and is staying in the Hawkesbury district overnight to watch Oui Oui Oui in tomorrow’s Qualifier.”

Along with Attard, fellow Hawkesbury trainers Peter Green (Bold and Brazen, $41) and Steve O’Halloran (Royalify, $151) will have representatives in the opening Qualifier.

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, chasing his sixth PMC Final victory, has held both tomorrow’s runners Inposant (Tommy Berry) and Miss Busslinger (Zac Lloyd) back to be eligible for the series.

Imposant, third to Matcha Latte in last year’s Final, and Miss Busslinger have each raced 20 times; the maximum to be eligible to contest a Qualifier.

Multiple Group 1 winning Kembla Grange trainer Kerry Parker is opposing the local favorite with his promising So You Think four-year-old Wild Thoughts, who is resuming from a spell and will have Jay Ford on board.

Wild Thoughts has won two of his five starts, hasn’t raced since late August and his current benchmark rating is 64 (Oui Oui Oui is 78).

“Obviously it’s his biggest test to date stepping up to this grade (the PMC Qualifiers are run as Class 5 Plates),” Parker said this morning.

“But his trials have been good, and I’m pretty happy with him.

“By going to the opening heat tomorrow, we still have further options if he doesn’t qualify immediately for the Final by running in the first two tomorrow.”

Parker has also accepted with Flying Bandit (Benchmark 100 Handicap, 1400m) and Equilibrist (Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap, 1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, and Jay Ford will ride both as well.

Last year’s Wagga Gold Cup winner Flying Bandit is kicking off a new campaign, whilst Equilibrist goes to town as a last start home track winner under 60.5kg on February 7.

Hawkesbury course manager Digby Nuthall this morning posted a “Good 4” rating for his club’s first meeting since mid-December.

“The course proper has come up really well after the annual renovation, and visually it looks fantastic,” Nuthall said.

“Obviously it is going to continue to get better once we start racing on it.  

“We’ve put 4mm of irrigation on the track in the previous 24 hours, and a total of 16mm in the last week.

“There has been no rainfall in the last 24 hours, but we received 15mm in the past week.

“Thunderstorms are forecast later in the afternoon today, so I’m playing it by ear as to whether we put any further irrigation on the track this evening.”

. The rail is in the TRUE position for the eight-race card, which begins at 1.30pm. The opening PMC Qualifier is race seven and scheduled for 5.20pm.