Brad Widdup at the Kensington track and Terry Croft at Grafton’s Ramornie Handicap.
Each had success today lifting the number of winners to 162 for the Hawkesbury training base so far this season.
Widdup clinched his 58th winner in 2024-25 when Hasty Honey ($2.70 favorite) took the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1550m) at Royal Randwick's inside Kensington circuit, and Croft continued a stellar July; Zoutastic's Grafton triumph as a $2.50 favorite in the Class 2 Handicap (1100m) being his third winner from his last four starters.
Leading trainer Widdup opted to bypass a Randwick engagement last Saturday with Hasty Honey, and the move paid dividends when she made it two city wins in a row.
Ridden by Newcastle apprentice William Stanley, who continues to show his wares in town, Hasty Honey led throughout to defeat Bella Corazon ($4) and American Starlet ($13).
Stanley's 3kg claim proved vital as his mount's handicap was reduced to 59kg, and Hasty Honey had enough in reserve to hold off the runner-up with 3kg less.
Bella Corazon at her previous start at Hawkesbury had beaten Hasty Honey's stablemate Audrey's Lane, who confirmed the form with a gutsy Newcastle victory last Saturday.
"Hasty Honey is going great this time in work, and deserves the chance now to win a Saturday race in town," Widdup said this evening.
"I will look at the programs both in Sydney and Melbourne, and look for something suitable.
"I was always a bit suspect about her getting over more ground, but her dam (Honey Cara) won up to 2000m at Flemington and 2040m at The Valley, and Hasty Honey is getting stronger.
"She bounced off the float when she got back to her Hawkesbury stable, and was as bright as a button."
Widdup also had last start Hawkesbury winner Bella Khadijah in the same race, but chose not to run her.
"She had 60kg for a three-year-old filly, and it would have been asking a lot of her to beat her stablemate."
Whilst Widdup has had another excellent season and is only three short of last season's 61 winners, his Hawkesbury compatriot Croft is also in great form and can celebrate a season to remember.
Zoutastic was his 11th winner since August 1; his best season in many a year and now three more than each of the last two years.
Zoutastic followed Croft's successes with Tides Turning at home on July 3 and Royal Commodore at Wyong two days later.
A $5000 purchase by her trainer at the 2023 Inglis HTBA yearling sale in Sydney, she has already proven such a fantastic buy.
The three-year-old daughter of Zousain won a $50,000 Super Maiden Plate (1200m) at Wagga in January, which also carried a $100,000 bonus being part of the Inglis Xtra Bonus series for maidens.
Apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald has ridden Croft's last three winners and has built a terrific strike rate with him (five wins and four placings from only 15 rides).
