ROSEHILL FLOPS EXCUSED AND READY FOR PMC FINAL

TRAINERS of Provincial-Midway Championships Finalists Mahogany Girl and Well Timed have both excused their Rosehill Gardens defeats on Tuesday.

Remarkably, the two horses who hadn’t raced since fighting out the finish of a Hawkesbury Qualifier (1400m) on March 8 - Mahogany Girl beat Well Timed – each started favorite and finished last in their respective races.

Mahogany Girl ($5.50) was beaten nine and a half lengths in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) on a ‘Heavy 8’ under 60.5kg topweight, and Well Timed ($5) was 25 lengths from the winner Green Fly in the Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m) in the closing race of 10 on a ‘Soft 7’.

RacingNSW stewards reported Mahogany Girl’s jockey Chad Lever told them the mare was a little fractious in the barrier after being loaded, and consequently was slow to begin.

He added that whilst it was his intention to lead, Mahogany Girl raced in an unfamiliar position after being crossed by other runners and that, combined with the heavy track, accounted for her disappointing performance.

A post-race vet examination did not reveal any abnormalities.

Mahogany Girl’s trainer Darryll Kell this morning said his mare had pulled up extremely well after the out of character worst performance of her 10-start career, which includes four wins and as many placings.

“She was into her food at 4.30 that afternoon when we got her back home to her stable, and was pig-rooting yesterday morning,” Kell said.

“Just to be sure, I will get her blood done tomorrow, but I’m expecting it will be good.

“Provided it is, that’s a run we just have to forget and move on, especially as we look like getting a good track on Saturday week for the Final.”

Kembla Grange trainer Kerry Parker also has put a line through Well Timed’s performance.

“It was the end of the Rosehill carnival, and the track was pretty chopped up by the time he ran in the last race,” Parker said.

“Well Timed was never comfortable in the ground, and then struck a wet patch just after straightening and lost his action.

“After that Nash Rawiller eased him down over the last 200m.

“Well Timed has taken no harm from the run, and I’m looking forward to getting him back to Randwick, where he has raced so well in the past and won two races (one of them over the PMC Final 1400m) on good tracks.”

Well Timed retained his position as $6 co-second favorite with Lord Of Biscay behind Matcha Latte ($4.50) for Saturday week’s $1m Final.

However, TAB.com.au eased Mahogany Girl from $15 to $26.

The final three spots in the 15-horse field will be decided later today when the rescheduled Wyong Wild Card (1350m) is run.

Story John Curtis, April 3, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos