Webster aims for more success with Hot Or Not

By Glenn Davis

Toowoomba horseman Pat Webster gets great satisfaction turning around a tried horse’s form and is hopeful Hot Or Not can continue the trend at Ipswich on Wednesday.

Hot Or Not - a Cejay Graham mount – will be attempting to win for the stable for the seventh time when she steps out in the Benchmark 70 Handicap over 800 metres.

The five-year-old and her half-sister Hayai Uma were transferred to Webster 12 months ago after being previously trained by Tim Hurley in Brisbane.

“Since Hot Or Not came to me she’s won six races and Hayai Uma has won five times,” Webster said.

“I only used to get tried horses to train when I was at St George because we couldn’t educate young horses out West.

“It’s a bit different now I’m based at Toowoomba as I can work on younger horses, but I still get a great deal of satisfaction with tried horses and getting them to start winning again.”

Hot Or Not has started 26 times during her career and all her six wins have been for Webster.

The daughter of Furnaces won four straight at Gatton and Ipswich last campaign but hasn’t raced since finishing third to the Paul Wallace-trained Flank Speed in an 870 metre Benchmark race at Toowoomba in February.

Webster doubts Hot Or Not will measure up to metropolitan grade in the city but expects a strong showing from her at Ipswich.

“She’s probably found her level where she is now,” Webster said.

“But, she could still find her way to a No Metropolitan Win race in town one day as she’s probably not up to the winter races.

“She likes Ipswich and has won first-up in weaker grade so she should be competitive in a race like this at Ipswich although it’s a pretty tough race.

“She’s won twice over 800 metres and has won up to 1000 metres so this looks a suitable race for her.”

Webster has only been based at Toowoomba for two years after moving from St George in South West Queensland.

He now trains at Bahram training and spelling centre on Toowoomba’s outskirts.

His biggest wins to date were back-to-back Country Stampede Finals at Doomben with V J Day and Dynamic Verse in 2021 and 2022. 

V J Day later went on to finish second to the Olivia Cairns-trained Ammoudi Bay in the Battle Of The Bush Final in 2022.