WIDDUP’S WAIT AND SEE ON PHEARSON’S RANDWICK 1600M TEST

BRAD Widdup will wait until near Saturday morning’s 7.30am scratching deadline before deciding whether Phearson has another crack at 1600m at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The leading Hawkesbury trainer nominated the dual Group 3 winner for both the 1600m Handicap and Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) at the corresponding Eagle Farm meeting, but accepted only for the former.

Phearson drew barrier 13 in a field of 15 for his Randwick assignment, and Widdup has retained his stable apprentice Zac Wadick to utilise his 2kg claim, lessening the gelding’s weight to 56kg.

Wadick has partnered Phearson in all three starts this time in work, the latest when fifth to The Instructor in the Listed Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at the Scone metropolitan meeting on May 17.

With 21 metropolitan winners so far this season, Wadick is currently in third place behind Braith Nock and Molly Bourke in the race to become Sydney’s champion apprentice.

Whilst Widdup is keen to try Phearson at 1600m again, he has decided to delay a decision on a start after he drew awkwardly and the track was rated a ‘Heavy 9’ following rain yesterday.

“Phearson hasn’t won in three runs back this campaign, but there has been nothing wrong with his performances at all,” he said this morning.

“He is going well but just hasn’t had the rub of the Irish.

“I’m really happy with him, and would like to try him again at 1600m.

“I’ll see how the final field shapes up early Saturday morning.

“If there’s quite a few scratchings, we might roll the dice and run him.

“Otherwise we’ll wait for the Civic Stakes back at Randwick in a fortnight.”

The $200,000 Civic carries Listed status, and will be run over 1400m.

Widdup has won six races with the Exosphere gelding, including the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens in 2023, Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Randwick in 2024, and a Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier (1400m) at his home track earlier in 2023.

The now seven-year-old has been to the ‘mile’ only twice, both at Randwick, in the 2023 Group 2 The Ingham and 2024 Doncaster Mile.

He led when unplaced behind Loch Eagle in The Ingham after winning the Festival Stakes at his previous start, and then drew the extreme outside barrier (19) when he again made the running and was unplaced behind Celestial Legend on a ‘Heavy 8’ in the Doncaster the following autumn.

. Phearson is one of four provincial trained horses in Saturday’s 1600m Handicap at Randwick.

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has both Amokura and Loch Eagle, and Wyong’s Sara Ryan will be represented by Salt Lake City.

Lees will use both his apprentices; William Stanley claims 3kg on 2023 Queensland Oaks winner Amokura, and Ben Osmond takes 2kg off Loch Eagle’s back.

Ryan has booked senior jockey Reece Jones for Salt Lake City, an Irish import who has started only once in Australia since joining her team.