WIDDUP CHASING THE “MONEY” IN SNAKE GULLY CUP

BRAD Widdup was successful with his first runner at Gundagai’s iconic Snake Gully Cup meeting 12 months ago.

Now the leading Hawkesbury trainer is striving to win the feature race itself – and has a very good reason for doing so.

Widdup will start pre-post favorite Money Team in the $100,000 Snake Gully Cup (1400m), which carries eligibility for next year’s $3m Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick.

“My older brother Warren rode for a few years and won a Snake Gully Cup on Albury-trained Aura Lad,” Widdup said this morning.

“Of course it would be nice to win the race myself.”

Widdup feels Money Team is the right horse for the Cup, coming off excellent metropolitan form carrying big weights.

The former Victorian, who won a Qualifying heat of the Provincial-Midway Championships earlier in the year, on resumption ran third with 60kg in a Class 4 Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm on August 30 before winning a midweek Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m) with 60.5kg at Warwick Farm on September 24.

Money Team then stepped up to a Benchmark 84 Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on November 4 (Big Dance day) when a close fourth (with 59.5kg) to Victorian visitor Carbonados.

Widdup has won five races – the first four were on end – with the five-year-old since he was purchased online in May last year for $55,000.

The son of I Am Invincible, who fetched $1m as a 2022 Inglis Australian Easter yearling, was gelded after joining the trainer’s Hawkesbury stable.

Widdup has called on leading country jockey Mathew Cahill to partner Money Team, who has drawn barrier two in the capacity field of 12.

Cahill has won the Cup twice – McLaren Vale (2001) and At The Show (2004) – and both were strongly fancied.

Tequila Baby and Akaka Falls were Widdup’s first two starters at Gundagai last year. The former bolted away with a Super Maiden Handicap (1180m) as a $1.50 hotpot, and Akaka Falls ($11) ran fourth in The Tuckerbox (1000m).

Along with Money Team, Widdup also sends Escargoes and Gandalf to Gundagai, with apprentice Mitch Stapleford partnering the pair.

Escargoes, a recent Warwick Farm 815m trial winner, is resuming and attempting to break through in the Super Maiden Handicap (1180m); the same race Tequila Baby won last year.

Meanwhile, Widdup will be represented by another resumer Phearson (Tom Sherry) in Saturday’s $1m The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle.

Phearson and leading local trainer Kris Lees’ pair Brudenell and Infancy are the only provincial representatives in the Group 2.

The dual Group 3 winner hasn’t raced since finishing fourth on heavy ground in Headley Grange’s 1500m Handicap at Rosehill Gardens on August 2.

“Phearson performed well last time in work, but was handicapped generally by wide barriers,” Widdup said.

“It’s the same again on Saturday. He will jump from barrier 13 in a field of 16 if the two reserves do not get a start.”

Phearson won a 900m Rosehill trial on October 24, with Sherry aboard.

Widdup has runners at both Newcastle and Kembla Grange on Saturday, including debutante Tenenbaum (Andrew Adkins) in the Max Lees Classic (900m) at Broadmeadow.

Every one of the 12 acceptors is yet to race. A colt by Snitzel, Tenenbaum has won both his trials at Hawkesbury (October 21) and Rosehill (November 5).

Widdup won the 2022 Max Lees with another first starter Fire Lane (Jay Ford) at $13.

Story John Curtis, November 13, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos