Churchill’s Choice Secures First Stakes Win for Owner
Churchill’s Choice charged down the outside to claim victory in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup over 1600m, delivering veteran owner Kevin Hill his first stakes success. The four-year-old mare, a $26 outsider, won by half a length under jockey Regan Bayliss, qualifying for the $3 million Big Dance ahead of runner-up Palmetto.
Trainer Nathan Doyle plans to target the Scone Cup on May 15 next for the mare, who finished second on her seasonal debut in the Newcastle Stakes. Doyle expressed delight for Hill, who was recovering in a Brisbane hospital. “He rang me today and said, ‘Mate, I hope the horse is going better than me’,” Doyle shared.
Hill had raced horses for 40 years without a stakes winner, but this was the first horse he entrusted to Doyle. “She won her first three and he said, ‘Your colours might be lucky, keep them on’,” Doyle noted. The trainer credited Bayliss’s ride and a strategic freshen-up. “We just went back to the trials because we thought she was a fresh horse,” he explained. “She was so good first-up and she was a bit plain second-up. She hits a flat spot from the 500 to the 300 and she’s probably dropping back two to three lengths and losing her races. You see Regan gave her one with the persuader around the corner to really get her into the race so she doesn’t drop the bridle and I think that was the difference in the end.”
Chidiac Edges Victory in Hawkesbury Crown
Scone trainer Brett Cavanough declared options wide open for Chidiac after the five-year-old mare followed her Country Championship triumph with a first black-type win in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown over 1300m. She held on by a nose over Surfin’ Bird, now boasting seven wins from 12 starts, while also marking apprentice Braith Nock’s 300th career victory.
Cavanough, training in partnership with his daughter Georgie, admitted to celebrating early. The success gave owner Gerry Harvey a double after Golden Straand’s earlier win. “She was worth $25,000 when I got her, Gerry will probably discount her at $1 million now,” Cavanough joked. “Scone’s in a fortnight, but the job is done for the time being. We’ll just see how she pulls up and go from there. We were looking at the Gai Waterhouse, the Silk Stocking, the Tatt’s Tiara [all in Queensland], you name it. Now the world’s her oyster.”
The win helped Cavanough recover from a betting loss on runner-up Wanaruah in the fifth race, with Nock securing a double on Bella Khadijah.
Other Key Results and Notes
Randwick trainer Peter Snowden eyes Queensland targets on dry ground for Zealously, who led throughout to win the Listed Gold Rush over 1100m.
Skyhook delivered for trainer Gerald Ryan in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas over 1400m, leading and clocking 1:21.51 to beat Burma Star by 1.5 lengths. Jockey Josh Parr rode confidently, with Ryan targeting the Fred Best Classic on May 30 and possibly the Stradbroke Handicap. “We just worked him sharper and we’d hardly ever worked him with a mate because he used to overwork, but last Saturday and Tuesday I worked him with a mate and made him chase them down,” Ryan said. He praised Parr, who has ridden less since his father Stephen’s death in February.
Jockey Adam Hyeronimus received a five-meeting suspension from May 10-20 for careless riding in the Highway Handicap aboard Olympian, after shifting out and contacting winner Oakfield Alaska.
Local trainer Brad Widdup capitalized on track bias with Bella Khadijah’s win in the Midway Benchmark 72 over 1500m, edging Cosmeena and stablemate Audrey’s Lane. “We’ve had a few cracks at these and I took the blinkers off her a while ago, and I think the race just set up really well for her,” Widdup said. “She’s been very frustrating, so it was good to see her win.”
Chris Waller swept the trifecta in the Clarendon Stakes for two-year-olds, with debutant Stormy Marco ($21) prevailing over Nations League ($7.50) and Fondness ($8.50). Assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth confirmed Queensland winter carnival plans, targeting the Group 1 JJ Atkins. “He’s obviously trialled well enough, he’s educated enough to go to the races, and 1400m was a better option for him than going next week,” Duckworth said.
