LAST year’s winner Territory Express is unlikely to be another headline act in this
year’s Provincial-Midway Championships series.
The schedule for the 2025 series has been released, with Hawkesbury to stage the opening Qualifier on Thursday, February 20 and Wyong to host the Wild Card on Saturday, March 29.
However, trainer Paul Niceforo says his immediate focus is to correct Territory Express’ behavioural problems, and intends enlisting the help of well-known Victorian breaker and trainer Julien Welsh, who is revered for his education of horses with barrier issues.
Territory Express incurred a RacingNSW stewards’ ban after he stood flatfooted in the barrier stalls and missed the start badly in the $1m Group 3 The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange on November 23. Even having blown his chances, he still came from a distant last to beat five horses home in the field of 16.
Niceforo rues going to The Gong after his talented gelding had finished an unlucky fifth (without getting a clear run in the straight until it was too late) to Pericles in the $2m Listed Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens a fortnight earlier.
“The Five Diamonds was our target with Territory Express, and we should have stopped afterwards,” he said.
“Territory Express went to the paddock after The Gong, had a nice break and came back to the stable last Sunday. He looks great, but we have to get him cleared in a trial before he can race again.“
In any case, Territory Express has had 20 starts and, under the conditions of the Provincial Midway Championships series, could not have another start before contesting one of the Qualifier.
“My focus is to fix his barrier issues, and after about six weeks’ work, I intend taking him to Julien Welsh at Pakenham South. I won’t let Territory Express out of my sight and, depending on how he progresses with Julien, may have a couple of starts in Victoria. That will be good experience if we do that as I would like to take him back south later in the year for the spring carnival.”
The schedule for the 2025 Provincial-Midway series is as follows:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 – HAWKESBURY 1400m (Eligible Provincial-Midway horses);
SATURDAY, MARCH 1 – NEWCASTLE 1400m (Provincial horses);
SATURDAY, MARCH 8 – HAWKESBURY 1400m (Provincial horses);
SATURDAY, MARCH 15 – GOSFORD 1200m (Provincial-Midway horses);
THURSDAY, MARCH 20 – NEWCASTLE 1400m (Provincial-Midway horses);
SATURDAY, MARCH 22 – KEMBLA GRANGE 1400m (Provincial horses);
SATURDAY, MARCH 29 – WYONG WILD CARD 1350m (Provincial-Midway horses);
SATURDAY, APRIL 12 – ROYAL RANDWICK $1m 1400m FINAL
The two placegetters in each of the first six races will qualify for the Final, whilst the Wild Card at Wyong provides all three placegetters with starts in the $1m Final a fortnight later.
Results of the 2024 series were:
KEMBLA GRANGE February 29 (Territory Express, Paul Niceforo);
NEWCASTLE March 2 (Tavi Time, Kris Lees);
HAWKESBURY March 9 (Short Short, Brad Widdup);
GOSFORD March 16 (Shadows Of Love, Kim Waugh);
KEMBLA GRANGE March 23 (Ruby Flyer, Brad Widdup);
WYONG March 30 (Ausbred Flirt, Brad Widdup);
NEWCASTLE April 3 Wild Card (Terra Mater, Jarrod Austin);
ROYAL RANDWICK April 13 FINAL (Territory Express).
Story by John Curtis, 2nd January, 2025
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