Latest news with #GeoffWebster
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Hall Of Fame trainer John Hawkes hopes to have runners in the biggest slot races of both equine codes
Hall of Fame trainer John Hawkes hopes to have runners in the biggest slot races of both Australia's equine codes. His exciting sprinter Briasa is already locked in for the $20 million The Everest on October 18 through the slot held by Max Whitby, Steve McCann, Colin Madden and Neil Werrett. Now Hawkes and his harness trainer, Geoff Webster, are hunting for a slot in the world's richest harness race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka, with emerging three-year-old Seathestars at Menangle on September 6. Hawkes has always had a passion for harness racing and has owned '25 or more' pacers over the years, but Seathestars is potentially the best yet. The gelding won three races on end, including the South-East Derby at Albion Park on July 5, before a slashing and luckless fourth in the $150,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby last Saturday night. Seathestars drew outside the back row, sat near the rear and defied the pattern of racing to storm home into fourth spot behind star Kiwi pacer Rubira, which led throughout. 'I thought his run was great,' Hawkes said. 'You couldn't ask for any more from where he drew and how far back he was. He's always shown ability, but he keeps improving and that's the exciting part. 'Geoff (Webster) mentioned The Eureka and I let him call the shots. If he thinks the horse is good enough to aim for it, then I'm onboard. 'It's a race for three and four-year-olds and the four-year-old crop doesn't look overly strong this year, so it could be a year for a three-year-old to win it. 'It would be exciting to have a runner in The Everest and The Eureka.' • 'The shoulder has had enough': Digger calls time on career Webster added: 'I've always liked him, but on what he's done the past few weeks, especially in the Derby, he's even better than I thought he was.' Hawkes said Briasa would return to his Rosehill stables this week and had thrived during his time out. 'I think he can go up another notch this campaign, but he'll need to, given the races we're aiming at,' he said. 'Most of what he's done so far has been on raw ability. 'The timing is perfect for him to have a crack at a race like The Everest. He's lightly raced and still on the up. It's the right time of his career.' Briasa is brilliant in the G1 T J Smith Stakes! He makes it 7 wins from just 9 starts as he races away for @HawkesRacing and @G1TySchil! ðŸ'¨ @aus_turf_club | @WorldPool — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2025 Briasa boasts seven wins from just 10 starts, including the Group 1 TJ Smith, and hasn't raced since a fourth in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on April 19. 'Forgive that run, he just wasn't quite ready and mature enough for the 1400m,' Hawkes said. Briasa is $8 third favourite behind Hong Kong sensation Ka Ying Rising and the exciting Private Harry in latest The Everest markets. Hawkes is looking forward to the challenge against Ka Ying Rising. 'He's clearly a very good horse, but I'm not scared of him. You want to race the best,' he said. 'I know my horse has the potential to improve a lot on what we've seen so far, so I'm excited about getting the chance to take on a horse like him (Ka Ying Rising), especially in our own backyard.'
News.com.au
10-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Thoroughbred trainer John Hawkes has a Queensland Derby harness racing contender in Seathestars
Horses are both big business and a hobby for Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer John Hawkes. The business side is the powerhouse stable Hawkes runs with sons Michael and Wayne with about 60 horses in work across Sydney and Melbourne, headed by The Everest contender Briasa. The hobby is harness racing. 'I grew up in Adelaide around lots of harness trainers, some real legends, and have great memories of going to the old Wayville track when I was about 15,' Hawkes. 'I've always loved the pacers and I must have raced about 20 of them with different mates over the years, mostly with Geoff Webster (trainer). Jenny (Hawkes' wife) and I love watching the trots of a Saturday night.' This Saturday they'll be watching one of their own when emerging three-year-old Seathestars – named after the former champion Irish thoroughbred – struts his stuff at Melton as a possible pointer to a Queensland Derby raid next month. 'I think he's a cog below the top ones at this stage, but he's getting there. He'll need to go really well from a bad draw (gate 11) this week to show he's worthy of a trip to Brisbane, but I'll leave that to Geoff (Webster),' Hawkes said. Seathestars has raced just 14 times for three wins and eight placings, including a third in the Group 2 Gold Chalice final at Bathurst in March. He narrowly won his last start at Melton on May 31. Jordan Leedham-driven Seathestars powers to an impressive victory in the final race of the night, the Nutrien Equine Pace at Melton, for trainer Geoff Webster. — The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) March 8, 2025 'He led and I don't think he's as good in front, he's more of a chaser at this stage,' Hawkes said. Hawkes' harness team grew when made a surprise appearance at the Nutrien Sydney Yearling Sales earlier this year and spent $260,000 on two yearlings. 'I had some friends who were keen to go in a horse or two with me and they are Sydney-based, so I bought a couple for Luke McCarthy to train,' Hawkes said. Those friends include star jockeys Tommy Berry, Tyler Schiller and Zac Lloyd. The marquee buy was a Captaintreacherous colt out of Island Banner, a daughter of former NZ Cup-winning mare Mainland Banner, who sold for $200,000. Hawkes said he and Jenny were huge fans of McCarthy's three-time Miracle Mile winner King Of Swing, whose first crop sold through the sale. 'Jenny really wanted a King Of Swing (yearling), too, so we picked up a nice one,' he said. It is a colt out of the well-related Kiwi mare Northern Velocity. 'Now we've just got to hope they'll turn out okay,' Hawkes said. 'The guys were keen to see them race up here so that's why we've gone with Luke, who is as good as it gets.' Back to the business side of horses and Hawkes can't wait to see Briasa back after a spell. 'He'll come back even better, you watch. What he's done so far has largely been on raw ability. He's very good, but he'll need to be aiming at a race like the Everest,' he said. 'We've had a really good season for a relatively small stable compared to the biggest and there's a few two-year-olds we're excited about seeing back next season.'
