KIM QUALIFIES HER TWENTIETH PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINALIST

Kim and Mark Waugh join winning connections after the Provincial Championship Qualifier at Gosford - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Kim Waugh really doesn’t know why the Provincial Midway Championship has become such a bucket list project, but the series dominates her thoughts from Christmas time each year. The talented Wyong trainer has saddled up a total of nineteen starters in eleven editions of the 1400m event so far. A win has frustratingly eluded her but two seconds and five thirds have kept her hopes alive. Kim feels both second placegetters were robbed of their chances by plain old racing luck. The trainer takes up the story.

“In the 2018 Final our mare Newsfan was held up for a long time in the straight before getting clear to be a fast closing second to Serene Miss,” said the trainer. “The margin was a length but should have been less. You wouldn’t believe it; the same thing happened the following year. I’ll never forget Blake Shinn being close to tears when he came back to the enclosure on Spring Charlie after going under by a neck to Bobbing. He apologised for being badly held up until close to home when a gap appeared, and Spring Charlie flashed through to go under by a neck.”

Kim will always remember the grave disappointment of 2021 when Great News was a pronounced favourite to win the Championship Final. The half sister to Newsfan had been dynamic in winning her qualifier at Gosford but the trainer decided on another run with the big one still many weeks away. Great News lost no admirers with a close second to Starspangled Rodeo from a wide gate in a pretty strong BM88 at Rosehill. She thrived over the next couple of weeks and would have been right on top of her game at Randwick.

Great News (Jay Ford) was airborne on the line in the 2021 Provincial Championship Qualifier at Gosford. Kim was devastated when she had to scratch the mare from the Final - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

“I was devastated when we had to pull her out of the Final the day before,” Kim recalled. “She’d sustained a crack to the off-fore hoof, there was associated bruising and our dream went out the window. Ringing the stewards to scratch the mare was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do. In the following preparation she was placed in two Gr 3’s and a listed race, while the following autumn she ran second in the Championship Qualifier before finishing fifth in the Final after leading which wasn’t her favourite role. I’ll always remember the Provincial Championship Final of 2021 as the one that got away. We lost another Final runner in 2018 when Manhattan Mist got cast in his box a few days out and had to miss the race.”

Kim arrived at Gosford on Saturday quietly confident of Mogul Monarch’s chances in the Championship Qualifier. The four year old was racing for the first time since last November when a couple of disappointing runs saw Kim send him to the paddock. He resumed with an easy trial win at Wyong on March 3rd and went into Saturday’s race very much on the fresh side as he likes to be. “Despite a tricky draw I asked Anna Roper not to get too far back even if it meant racing three wide with cover,” said Kim. “She did much better than that. By the time they got to the 800m Anna had him one off the fence. I was tickled pink to see Mogul Monarch trailing a line of three leaders coming to the turn with the favourite Banjora well back after missing the start. He moved really well to hit the front at the 200m and was strong to the line. Banjora was desperately unlucky, but I’ll take the win.”

A skilful Anna Roper ride paved the way for Mogul Monarch's win at Gosford - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Kim’s association with the innately talented Anna Roper goes back quite some time. The brilliant young rider has spent the bulk of her apprenticeship with Wyong trainer Damien Lane and has had an ongoing relationship with the Waugh stable. Kim describes her simply as a gifted young jockey and a most likeable person. Anna has ridden the son of Capitalist almost exclusively the past twelve months contributing wins at Wyong, Kensington and Saturday’s important Gosford qualifier. Mogul Monarch was a $20,000 yearling purchase at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale for Tom, Bev and Dr. Teena-Louise Browning. The Browning family has enjoyed the ride as Mogul Monarch puts together a record of 21 starts for 5 wins, 6 placings and $331,000 in prize money. He’ll be running for much more than that in the Randwick Final on April 11th.

Co-owners Tom and Bev Browning with Gosford Race Club director Michael Griffiths after the Qualifier - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Mogul Monarch is one of 24 horses currently in Kim’s care on the Central Coast. Most are housed on the Wyong racecourse, but frequently spend time on the Waugh’s beautifully appointed twenty hectare property at nearby Jilliby. The property embraces six huge paddocks in which several horses can be turned out together New Zealand style, with another fourteen one horse paddocks. Named Mahtoum Lodge after Kim’s 2005 Sydney Cup winner, the facility also boasts an arena and treadmill. The farm enables Kim to spell and pre-train her own horses and has the capacity to provide the ideal change of scenery for any member of her Wyong based team in need of a mental refresher.

Kim with Sky Racing's Ben Way after Mogul Monarch's win on the Kensington track 26/03/2025 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Asked to nominate any other members of the team punters should keep an eye on, the popular trainer came up with a couple of unraced horses. The first is three year old filly National News, a daughter of Churchill out of the aforementioned Newsfan, Kim’s unlucky runner in the 2018 Provincial Championship Final. National News scored easily in a Wyong trial late last year and is just beginning a new preparation. The other horse happens to be Newsfan’s very next foal, a two year old gelding by Yes Yes Yes called Oxford Power. This youngster was impressive in winning a Wyong trial on March 3rd and will make his race debut in the next couple of weeks.

Anna Roper's smile said it all as she prepared to dismount from Mogul Monarch at Gosford - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

The trusted Racing and Sports Data Base has Kim Waugh down as the trainer of an impressive 707 winners including her Gr 1 success with Mahtoum and fourteen other black type successes. It was great to catch up with Kim on Sunday morning along with Mark, her husband of twenty one years and a former cricketer of iconic reputation. Mark’s stellar career finished twenty four years ago but cricketing analysts continue to laud his achievements as one of the most elegant batsmen and skilful slips fielders of his generation. He garnered much praise recently from Fox Sports regulars for his expert commentary during the Ashes Series against England. Mark and Kim Waugh are both elite performers in their chosen fields.