Queensland-based owners Gordon and Marlene McIntosh continue to live the dream with their bargain basement purchase Widgee Turf as the crowd favourite is fast-closing in on a million dollars in earnings following his second stakes win in Saturday's Listed March Stakes at Flemington.
Billy Egan has been on the back of the 5yo son of Turffontein in nine of his ten starts and he was back on board on Saturday with a perfectly timed finish to defeat another resilient character in the 8yo Helike gelding Hellova Street by a neck with the Magnus gelding Streets Of Avalon a head back in third.
"I was handy and they rolled along and I know that he likes to have a resting run to have a finishing burst and I thought I am going to get past them, but he's only got so much petrol there," Egan told racing.com.
"But he really hit the line well. You can never bag him, he always runs an honest race and I am certainly rapt to be a part of him."
The Patrick Payne-trained gelding advances his overall record to 10, 9 3 from 27 starts with earnings of $964,300.
His previous stakes win came in the Group III MRC Victoria Handicap at Caulfield almost 12 months ago. (photo Grant Courtney)
A bargain basement $4,5000 purchase by Crown Valley Lodge from the Little Plains Stud draft at the 2014 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale, Widgee Turf is the fourth foal of the Kala Dancer mare Greyhound who was pensioned after foaling Widgee Turf but after five seasons in the paddock the 21yo mare was covered by Turffontein last December.
After finishing last at her one and only start, Greyhound did not start her breeding career until she was 11 years old.
