GOOD things come to those who wait - it a phrase that has been used in reference to host of things from beer to premierships and on Friday afternoon it most certainly applied to Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup.
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His three-year-old gelding Royal Banquet notched up the first win of his career at Bathurst's Tyers Park, taking out the Central West Electrical Maiden Handicap (1,100 metres).
It was a win which came nine months after he placed third on debut at Gosford. In the period since then Royal Banquet has had five trials, two stints - one for 15 weeks the other 18 - in the spelling paddock, and been gelded.
"Brad was a bit patient with him, gave him a bit of time, obviously gelded him - it's been awhile since he raced," Widdup's stable foreman Nerissa Copp said.
"He just came out here, the trip away would have done him good, give him a bit of confidence. It was nice to see him win that, he needed that.
"Previously he's been a bit hot, but he was beautiful today, I'll think he'll benefit from it quite a bit. It's not high pressure races, it's nice and easy out here.
"I reckon he will be able to go through the grades now and be a race horse, he needed that bit of time."
Royal Banquet's breeding - he is sired by super stallion Snitzel and out of the Testa Rossa mare Twilight Royale - suggests that Friday's win will be followed by more success.
It is good news for his owners who paid $130,000 for him at last year's Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
"I reckon there's a bit of potential there, he's quite nicely bred, he's a Snitz horse. He's got nice owners so it's good to have a winner for them," Copp said.
Royal Banquet ($2.40) was beaten out of the barriers in the opening race of Bathurst Throughbred Racing meeting by the Bjorn Baker trained $2.05 favourite Corcra.
While Thrive In The Home (Qin Yong, $13) then punched on to the lead and Royal Banquet slipped back to fourth, jockey Christian Reith had him well positioned on the rails.
Down the home straight Corcra hit the lead, but Royal Banquet was worked into the clear and coming hard.
Royal Banquet won by 0.27 lengths over Corcra, with Thrive In The Home third.
