Sydney’s new Midway races begin this Saturday at Rosehill Gardens, and Hawkesbury-based trainer Brad Widdup is all in favour for the new venture.
The Midway was introduced for small and medium sized stables based around Sydney’s provincial and metropolitan circuit and boasts a juicy $100,000 in prizemoney.The addition of the race means racing fans will be treated to a whopping 10-race card every Saturday in the New South Wales capital.
Brad Widdup said the new initiative was needed, and hopes it can improve the number of horses being trained in the provincial ranks.
“I think anything new in racing is good,” he said,
“I think one thing that Peter V’Landy’s has done in his area, he’s always reinvigorating, trying new concepts and I think it was needed.
“The big fellas are getting bigger and harder to compete against, and the country races are getting very strong now, with The Kosciuszko and the Highway’s and the Country Championships.
“We were getting squeezed out a fair bit there as well. After a couple of wins in the provincials, they (the horses) were getting whisked off to a country trainer.
“Hopefully this will stop a bit of that.”
Widdup has nominated two horses for the first ever running of the Midway, a Benchmark 72 over 1100m.
Bigger Than Thorn turned in a good effort at Goulburn last start to finish second, whilst Switched was only beaten 2.6 lengths at Rosehill last Saturday.
Although Widdup loves the addition of the Midway race, he doesn’t want to be racing in them for long.
“For me, I’m striving now not to be in the Midway’s,” he said.
“If you’re not in them it means you’re going pretty good. It’s like if you’re paying more tax, then you’re making more money.”
The new Midway race came as part of a $20 million increase in prizemoney that will come into effect on Thursday.
Country racing will increase to $24,000, while the TAB Highway and metropolitan Saturday will receive a boost.
Two new feature races will be created in the spring, as well as lead up races to The Hunter and The Gong races carrying $200,000 in stakes.
Widdup said the racing fraternity are lucky to be receiving prizemoney increases considering the effect COVID-19 has had in the past 12 months.
“We’re very lucky,” he said.
“We’ve been through a pandemic and we’re getting prizemoney increases, new races like these Golden Eagle’s and The Gong’s and all these things.
“It’s just incredible really.”
