WIDDUP’S “PRETTY SPECIAL” WEEKEND FEATURE DOUBLE

BRAD Widdup could not have summed it up better.

“It’s been an unbelievable weekend,” Hawkesbury’s leading trainer said this evening after winning the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes at Royal Randwick yesterday, and doubling up with the Goulburn Cup today.

Savvy Hallie ($3.50) graduated to city company with a bang by taking the Silver Shadow (1200m), and mudlark Ruby Flyer ($11) bounced back to form by taking the Big Dance Eligibility Goulburn Cup (1400m).

The Widdup weekend double took his career tally to 422, and he put it all in context when discussing both winners.

“Obviously when you win a Group race at Randwick, it’s a big thrill,” he said.

“Especially when you win a Maiden at Newcastle, and then Savvy Hallie takes a quantum leap to a Group 2 in town.

“That’s the first time I have been able to do that with a horse (Sandbar won a 2YO Maiden at Canterbury in 2018 and next start the Listed Lonhro Plate at Warwick Farm).

“But coming from the country (Widdup was born at Albury), it was also pretty special to win my first Country Cup today with Ruby Flyer.

“I ran second with Phearson in the Goulburn Cup two years ago, and second with High Dandy in last year’s Dubbo Cup.”

Savvy Hallie, the dearest Hellbent yearling sold last year (BK Racing & Breeding paid $320,000 for her at the Inglis Classic sale), took the first leg of the annual Princess Series for three-year-old fillies by defeating Within The Law ($3.50) and Queen Of Clubs ($10).

That took her record to two wins and three seconds from only six starts, and her trainer paid her a fitting compliment.

“You always worry when a horse with ability goes to the paddock if they will come back as good or better,” Widdup said.

“Savvy Hallie has certainly come back better. She is such a good filly.”

However, Widdup remains guarded as to whether Savvy Hallie attempts all four legs of the Princess Series at Randwick.

“It’s one race at a time,” he said. “We will go to the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) next on Saturday week, and in all probability the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) a fortnight after that,” he said.

“But we’ll wait and see about the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) on October 5. She might be a bit sharp for the mile.”

Savvy Hallie (Jay Ford) flew out of the stalls yesterday, sat outside favorite Agarwood ($2.80), beat her off in the straight and then wouldn’t be denied when the second and third placegetters threw out late challenges.

Widdup was both pleased and relieved to see Ruby Flyer strike winning form again in today’s Goulburn Cup.

Dylan Gibbons, who was to have partnered the gelding in the Listed Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury last Thursday (rain cancelled the meeting), secured the mount when his original booking Shadizi was withdrawn.

He never left the fence on Ruby Flyer, who skirted the rail in the straight and overhauled $2.70 favorite The Novelist and Estadio Mestalla ($7) to score comfortably.

Widdup was left dumbfounded when Ruby Flyer flopped at Randwick on July 26 in a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1600m) at his second start this campaign.

“I knew just after the jump that day that he wasn’t travelling,” he said.“He had a poor post-race recovery and we had him scoped, but couldn’t find anything wrong.

“He trialled at Warwick Farm on August 8 and had worked well since, and things fell our way a bit today with so many scratchings.

“Ruby Flyer really loves heavy ground. That’s three from three on heavy tracks.”

Now that Ruby Flyer has put his name up in lights for a start in the $3m Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick on November 4, Widdup has some thinking to do.

“I’ll have to plan a program for him,” he said.

“And obviously I’m hoping Randwick will be heavy when the Big Dance comes around.”

HOOFNOTE: Unfortunately, Hasty Honey, who also was to have lined up in the Rowley Mile, bled from both nostrils when last of seven in yesterday’s Group 3 Premier’s Cup (2000m) at Randwick.

She incurred a mandatory three months’ ban, which includes at least eight weeks in a paddock.

Stablemate Jedibeel (Kerrin McEvoy) will trial at Hawkesbury tomorrow morning as Widdup readies him for a return to racing.

“At this stage, I will nominate him for both the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday week, and Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley the same day,” Widdup said.

Story John Curtis, August 24, 2025