Hey J3,
Don't worry about how many hours you had when you applied for Rex. I don't think that matters as much to Rex as the applicant's IQ. I think they only want cadets with a certain 'mentality'.
I know of a bloke who had ZERO hours who applied for both the RAAF and Rex pilot training courses. Rex knocked him back but the RAAF offered him a spot. If the RAAF thought he was good enough to learn to fly their advanced planes why didn't Rex think he was good enough to be a First Officer on a poxy old SAAB?
Too smart for them maybe?
Cheers,
Cn