POPPIE'S FAB FIVE WITH RISING STAR VICTORY
- John Curtis
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Hawkesbury apprentice Poppie Gorton rode in the third heat at her home track trial session this morning, then headed off to the TAB race meeting at Nowra for two rides for her master, leading trainer Brad Widdup.
After finishing fourth in the second race on Kosrae ($4.80), the 19-year-old backed up four races later and posted an important milestone in her career.
Gorton won the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1400m) – a heat of the Rising Star Series for apprentices – on $7 chance Forcefilly.
It was her fifth victory, meaning her country allowance now reduces from 4kg to 3kg.
Gorton brought Forcefilly with a determined burst wide out on the track, hitting the front in the shadows of the post.
Forcefilly defeated $2.60 favorite Supairo (Mollie Fitzgerald) and $41 outsider The Herald (Olivia Chambers).
It was the four-year-old Invader mare’s third success at her 10th start – and Gorton has been her rider in all three.
“Forcefilly’s owners BK Racing & Breeding’s Brad Hunt and their racing manager Ben Vassallo have been terrific allowing Poppie to get valuable experience by riding the mare,” Widdup said this evening.
“Three of Poppie’s five wins to date have been on Forcefilly, so for sure she won’t forget her.
“Forcefilly was her first winner at Goulburn in September.
“Poppie left for Nowra not long after riding Don’tcallmekathy, who ran second in the 1000m trial at Hawkesbury.
“She had a chauffeur to drive her to the races, but it’s back to work as normal tomorrow.”
Don’tcallmekathy, another four-year-old mare, was another of the young jockey’s winners, at Bathurst last month.
Her other winner was Dodgy Freckle at Mudgee, also last month.
Forcefilly was Widdup’s 19th winner of the season, and the 54th for the Hawkesbury training base.
He has nominated Ruby Flyer for Saturday’s $1m The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange, but has to wait for acceptances on Wednesday morning to see if the gelding gains a start.
At present that looks forlorn as Ruby Flyer (53kg) is 29th in order of ballot (16 can start with provision for four emergencies).
If he misses out, there is a 1600m Benchmark 88 Handicap at the same meeting to fall back on.