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Widdison continues Goulburn love affair
Over the years, Wodonga trainer Craig Widdison has enjoyed much success in NSW, with many of his winners arriving at Wagga and Albury and, to a lesser extent, Corowa, Narrandera, and Gundagai.
Still, it’s been somewhat surprising to see him venturing as far as Goulburn in recent weeks, with the eight-hour round trip a long one for his stable.
The decision has been a smart one, with Widdison bringing up a double on June 16, with Lunar Solar (Holly Durnan, $5.50) winning the 1000m Benchmark 58 Handicap for fillies and mares before Doogan’s Design (Nick Souquet, $6) triumphed in the 1000m Maiden Handicap.
On Monday, Widdison ventured north again, and with Tumbarumba product and Wodonga-based hoop Nick Souquet in tow for just one ride, the pair took out the 1200m Benchmark 58 Handicap with Intense Effort ($4.40).
“I definitely love coming to Goulburn,” Widdison laughed.
Souquet had to get every bit out of the four-year-old that looked gone for all money down the home straight, but she flashed home over the final 50 metres, bringing up Widdison’s third winner at Goulburn from just four starters.
“I thought she was sort of going nowhere up the straight, but she did that at Bendigo too, and it looked like she was going to drop out, and I thought it might have been the wet track, but to her credit, she picked up late,” Widdison said.
Widdison was ready for a break after racing at Sandown on Thursday, Wagga on Friday, Narrandera on Sunday, and Goulburn on Monday.
“It’s a quiet week, but we need one; we’ve had a few big days, so it’ll be nice to relax,” Widdison said.
Souquet travelled to Narrandera on Sunday for one ride, winning on the Widdison-trained Duped By Spin in the 1400m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
After three consecutive trips into NSW, Souquet shared the same sentiment as Widdison, with the well-travelled hoop happy to kick the feet up for a couple of days.
“It has been a big week for me and Craig,” Souquet said.
“It’s been all right and a lot of hours in the car, and I’m looking forward to having a couple of days off.”
