WIDDUP’S SUNLIGHT PAIR TO TRIAL AT ROSEHILL

BRAD Widdup has finalised jockeys for both his Magic Millions Sunlight Plate runners, who will trial at Rosehill Gardens this morning.

Tommy Berry has been booked for Savvy Hallie, and Tyler Schiller for Nashville Jack.

The $3m MM Sunlight Plate (1100m) will be run at the Gold Coast on January 10 as a feature of the twilight meeting.

Berry will partner the three-year-old stablemates in separate 900m trials at Rosehill.

Hawkesbury’s leading trainer has already trialled Savvy Hallie and Nashville Jack once – the former in a 799m heat at Warwick Farm on December 8, and latter over 895m at Canterbury six days earlier.

Savvy Hallie won her first two starts last campaign on heavy ground; a Super 3YO Maiden Plate (900m) at Newcastle on August 14 by five and a half lengths, and the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick nine days later.

She then finished third to Apocalyptic in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1400m) at the same track on September 6 before spelling.

Savvy Hallie has raced only seven times, and Nashville Jack on four occasions.

He won a 2YO Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on July 26 before finishing fourth to Skyhook in the Listed Rosebud (1100m) on a heavy Rosehill surface on August 16.

In TAB.com.au’s early market on the Sunlight Plate, Savvy Hallie is $5 joint second favorite behind talented Brisbane three-year-old Grafterburners ($4), and Nashville Jack is at $26.

Meanwhile, Widdup will most likely accept with hat-trick seeker Hyperbolic for both Randwick on Saturday and Gosford on Sunday.

Hyperbolic has 59kg topweight for the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1600m) at Randwick, and weights have yet to be released for Sunday’s $300,000 Group 3 Belle of the Turf Stakes over the same distance at Gosford.

“I’ll have a look at both races, but at this stage I would like to go to Gosford,” Widdup said this evening.

“With Tommy (Berry) holidaying with his family over Christmas, Tyler Schiller will ride the mare in whichever races she runs in.”

Hyperbolic won a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) against her own sex with 55.5kg at Rosehill on November 29 before rising 1kg and doubling up in a similar grade race over 1600m at Randwick for three and four-year-olds on December 13.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, DECEMBER 22, 2025