BRAD Widdup cast his net wide to haul in a Mooney Valley winner on Friday night and another at Wyong on Saturday.
And the leading Hawkesbury trainer is hoping to extend that to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday with his talented sprinter Jedibeel in the $200,000 Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m).
Jedibeel will have a new rider, with The Gong winning jockey Tommy Berry taking over from a suspended Tyler Schiller.
Brad’s victories with Piplup at The Valley and Guzumped at Wyong lifted his tally for the season to 24, and his career number to 381.
Understandably, he was pleased to get a Melbourne victory with four-year-old mare Piplup for Adrian Whittingham’s Honeycomb Stud.
Ridden by Damian Lane, Piplup ($4.80) bolted away with the Benchmark 70 Handicap (2040m) against her own sex.
It was her second appearance in Melbourne this spring, having finished seventh in similar grade, also against her own sex, during the Flemington carnival on November 7 when the race wasn’t run to suit her.
“We sent her to Melbourne because there haven’t been similar types of races in Sydney,” Widdup said on Sunday.
“She has remained in Melbourne until we make a decision about her next run.”
A $70,000 purchase at the 2022 Inglis HTBA yearling sale in Sydney, the four-year-old daughter of Interference contested Group 1 three-year-old fillies’ races – the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens and ATC Oaks (2400m) at Royal Randwick – last autumn.
“They’re only three-year-olds once, and the opportunity was there to try for those classics,” Widdup said.
Guzumped ($2.10 favorite) again showed his liking for the Wyong circuit when he won Saturday’s Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m).
Given a gun ride from an inside draw by apprentice Mitch Stapleford, Guzumped always travelled like a winner, and defeated Oakfield Prince ($11) and Dreamdeel ($3.80).
From four starts at Wyong, $200,000 yearling buy Guzumped has now won three races.
He easily took the Wyong Cup Prelude (2000m) in August, but his trainer chose not to proceed to the Wyong Cup (2100m) a couple of weeks later for a special reason.
“He is a Magic Millions horse, and I wanted to give him a break and focus on that carnival in January,” Widdup explained.
“Guzumped could run in either of the 1800m or 2200m races at the Gold Coast, and probably it will be the former.
“I’m not sure he is a genuine stayer, and the 1800m should really suit him.”
Widdup bypassed the $300,000 Group 3 The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday with Jedibeel in favour of next Saturday’s Starlight Stakes.
The hugely consistent Jedibeel, who has won six races and been placed seven times from only 15 starts, has progressed well since finishing a first-up second to The Warra runner-up Dragonstone in a Benchmark 100 Handicap (1100m) at Randwick on November 5.
Meanwhile, stablemates Tenbury Wells (Derby) and Noises (Oaks) have returned from Melbourne and are spelling after contesting Group 1 features at Flemington.
Tenbury Wells will return as a gelding at his next preparation.
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Provincial-Midway Championships Final winner Territory Express came under RacingNSW stewards’ scrutiny when he bombed the start by six lengths in the $1m Group 3 The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
Stewards told trainer Paul Niceforo the gelding will need to trial to their satisfaction before he is permitted to race again.
. Newcastle trainer John Bannister beat the heat and his rivals with Threetimesalady at Narromine on Sunday.
The former Victorian mare, ridden by Shannen Llewellyn, was a $5.50 joint favorite and took the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m); her third success and second in Bannister’s care.
Newcastle jockey Ash Morgan won the $200,000 Community Chest (1400m) at Canberra on Sunday on the Ciaron Maher-trained Chorlton Lane ($5.50).
Story John Curtis, December 24, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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