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Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup and champion country jockey Greg Ryan joined forces for the first time at Bathurst on September 24 and enjoyed immediate success.

Widdup’s victory with recent acquisition Battle Fury in the Maiden Plate (1408m) gave him his fifth win of the season and kicked off a treble for Hawkesbury trainers on the seven-race program.

Karen Outtrim and Garry Frazer notched their opening wins of the season by scoring with Captain Americain and Sweet Fella respectively.

Battle Fury was Widdup’s second winner in six days for Darby Racing, having scored with Invictum Domina at Warwick Farm last Wednesday.

He now prepares five horses for the syndicators of last year’s Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign.

Ryan’s wife Pauline, who manages the bookings for her husband, rang Widdup for the mount on Battle Fury.

“Pauline has rung several times before seeking rides for Greg, but I have always had either my brother-in-law Christian Reith or our apprentice Qin Yong available,” Widdup explained.

“Christian was busy at Warwick Farm trials and this was a good opportunity to get Greg to ride for me for the first time.

“Battle Fury ran really well first-up at Goulburn, and I felt this was a suitable race for him to break through.”

Karen Outtrim was thrilled with her four-year-old Captain Americain’s dominant victory in the Class 1 Handicap (1808m).

A son of Melbourne Cup winner Americain, Captain Americain burst between runners in the straight and cleared out to trounce Stately Boy and Heeby Frenly.

“Captain Americain ran a good second at Mudgee earlier in the month and then was unlucky last time at Goulburn over 2100m when mentioned in the stewards’ report,” Outtrim said.

“He is still learning, and I was debating whether to take blinkers off him but left them on as he was coming back in distance.”

It was a case of lightning striking twice for Frazer with Sweet Fella ridden by Hawkesbury apprentice Brandon Griffiths to land the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1208m).

Frazer freshened the six-year-old and won first-up with him at the same track in January when ridden by Griffiths’ partner, fellow apprentice Chelsea Ings.

He was readied or this assignment with a barrier trial hitout at Hawkesbury on August 14.

“He trialled well and the field he met was weaker than he beat earlier in the year,” Frazer said.