‘We've had a good season': Team Hawkes on verge of surpassing stable prizemoney record

News.com.au

a day ago

Team Hawkes are on the verge of a personal stable milestone at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The training partnership of Hall of Famer John Hawkes and his sons Michael and Wayne have already prepared 58 winners on all tracks during 2024-25, including three at Group 1 level, for stable earnings of $10,721,795.
The stable's trio of Group 1 wins with Briasa (TJ Smith Stakes), Nepotism (Champagne Stakes) and Devil Night (Blue Diamond) is the most majors they have trained in one season since All Too Hard won four elite level races in 2012-13.
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But with only two months of the season remaining, Team Hawkes is certain to break its previous best season's prizemoney return of $10,809,625 set in 2021-22 – and it could happen as early as Saturday's home track Rosehill meeting.
The Hawkes stable has starters in four races including fancied duo Furious in the Ranvet Handicap (1500m) and Brave One in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1200m).
'We've had a good season because we only have a small team in work these days with 35 at Rosehill and 25 at Flemington,'' John Hawkes said.
'We keep chipping away and we were lucky to win a few big races which always helps.''
The Rosehill track was rated a Heavy 9 late on Friday with the likelihood of an upgrade on race day.
'The weather seems to have come good for a few days but the track is not going to dry out too much,'' Hawkes said.
'Our horses should handle the track but you don't want it too heavy.''
Furious is the pick of the Hawkes stable runners at Rosehill if TAB betting is any guide as he is challenging for favouritism at $5 behind only Enter The Dragon at $4.80.
Hawkes said Furious, part-owned by Rupert Legh of Chautauqua fame, has trained on well after his close second to Pippie Beach at a Kensington meeting earlier this month.
'Furious has 60.5kg and it's never easy when carrying big weights on wet tracks,'' Hawkes said.
'But the horse is well in himself and certainly we feel he will be competitive.''
Brave One, who is also part-owned by Legh, resumed with a close second to Cruel Summer in heavy conditions at Canterbury a month ago.
But the Hawkes-trained sprinter gets in with only 54kg for his Rosehill race and is firm in betting at $6 behind Godolphin sprinter Kerguelen at $3.10.
'Brave One has had time to get over his first-up run,'' Hawkes said.
'This is a harder race but we are happy with him.''
Hawkes has also entered Allapercanto ($23) and Liberty State ($26) for the TAB Handicap (1200m) and Catahoula ($17) is in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1100m).
At Eagle Farm, the Hawkes stable can secure another feature two-year-old race with promising Gallo Nero ($4.20 favourite) for the Group 2 $1m BRC Sires Produce Stakes.
Meanwhile, Hawkes said the 'grey flash' Briasa and boom two-year-old Nepotism are still out spelling and won't return to the Rosehill stable for another two weeks.
Briasa has been selected by slot-holders Max Whitby, Neil Werrett and Col Madden for the $20m The TAB Everest at Royal Randwick on October 18 while Nepotism is likely to be aimed at the Group 1 three-year-old classics, Golden Rose (1400m) and Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
'We haven't locked in their spring programs but with Briasa he will only have one or two runs into The Everest,'' Hawkes said.
'He won't have too many runs each preparation, that way we can keep him racing for longer.
'Nepotism we will take along quietly and hopefully get him to races like the Golden Rose and the Caulfield Guineas.''
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On the subject of significant achievements, Chris Waller and James McDonald can challenge national Group 1 records at Eagle Farm.
Waller goes into the meeting having already trained 18 Group 1 winners this season, equalling the all-time record he set in 2018/19.
McDonald has ridden 14 Australian Group 1 winners during 2024-25 and has the opportunity to edge closer or even equal 'Miracle' Mal Johnston's longstanding national riding record of 16 major race winners he established in 1979-80.
Waller and McDonald team up with brilliant mare Joliestar ($3 favourite) in the Group 1 $1m Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) and Belle Detelle ($5.50) in the Group 1 $1m Queensland Derby (2400m).
Waller has multiple runners in both Group 1 races with Democracy Manifest ($41) in the Kingsford Smith Cup, while in the Derby the trainer is also saddling up Imperalist ($19), Existential Bob ($41) and possibly emergency Liberty Park ($101).
Meanwhile, Waller will pass the $50 million prizemoney stable for the season on Saturday.
The Hall of Fame trainer has already prepared the winners of $49,987,130 to trail only Ciaron Maher with a record $55,737,500 (and counting) on this season's prizemoney rankings.
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Bacio Del Mist might be the rank outsider at $81 for the Listed $200,000 Lord Mayor's Cup (2000m) at Rosehill but trainer Cherie Curtis expects the grey mare to run a 'competitive race'.
'She ran well at Scone last start, it was only 1700m and she was just run off her legs,'' Curtis said.
'But we are getting her ready for some of the winter staying races and she is much better for the run.''
Interestingly, the only mare to win the Lord Mayor's Cup in more than two decades was a grey – Polly Grey in 2021.
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Dave Morrison will officiate at his first Sydney Saturday meeting as Rosehill track manager.
The experienced Morrison was appointed earlier this month to replace Shaun Patterson.
Morrison spent 30 years on the track staff at Royal Randwick and the last two at Rosehill so his transition to the top job has been seamless.
The official track rating for Rosehill late on Friday was a Heavy 9 after more than 110mm of rain fell on the track over the last seven days but Morrison will be hoping for an upgrade on race day.