Brad Widdup Racing

Widdup Racing Open Day V2.mp4

SUNDAY: OCTOBER 12, 2025: THE world&rsquo;s richest race on turf would not have even entered Brad Widdup&rsquo;s thoughts when he caught sight of Lot 343 at the 2021 Inglis Classic yearling sale in Sydney.
He liked the Savabeel youngster so much he went above a $150,000 budget new stable client Mike Gregg had given him.
At $190,000 he was knocked down to the leading Hawkesbury trainer, and Gregg was happy to pay the extra when he became aware his trainer didn&rsquo;t want to miss out on him.
Jedibeel has since more than repaid his purchase price &ndash; he has won eight races, including a Group 2 at weight-for-age at Royal Randwick, and is verging on millionaire status &ndash; and at that very track on Saturday will be Brad&rsquo;s first runner in the $20m The Everest (1200m), as well as being the first provincial representative in six years.
Brad had purchased an unraced horse (The Grundler) from New Zealand for Sydney businessman Gregg, and won two races with him (the first at Newcastle at double figure odds not long before securing Jedibeel).
&ldquo;Mike wanted to buy a horse we hoped could run 1600m and beyond,&rdquo; he recalled today.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not one to look closely at sale catalogues because you see horses you would like but know you won&rsquo;t be able to afford them.
&ldquo;When I saw Jedibeel at the Classic sale, I was taken by his physique, the way he walked, and his attitude.
&ldquo;He was the first yearling I had ever bought for Mike, and the only yearling I bought at that sale.
&ldquo;He has been a wonderful horse for Mike and our stable, but I became aware in his first preparation that he wasn&rsquo;t going to be a &lsquo;miler&rsquo; or get over middle distances.
&ldquo;We had a genetic test done, and it showed that he was a sprinter.&rdquo;
Brad has well and truly done the hard yards in the industry, and though modestly not one to get carried away with many things in racing, is understandably thrilled to join The Everest ranks at the weekend.
But it will be business as normal this week with the gelding.
&ldquo;There will be nothing different. We&rsquo;ll be keeping to his same routine preparation,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;He will do slow work tomorrow (Monday) morning, gallop over 800m on Tuesday morning, canter
Wednesday morning, do a bit of pacework Thursday morning, and canter again Friday morning.
&ldquo;We had a setback with Jedibeel at the start of his preparation which forced us to miss the Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 6.
&ldquo;As a result he didn&rsquo;t resume until a fortnight later in The Shorts (1100m) there, and then ran fourth in the wfa Premiere Stakes (1200m) at the same track yesterday week.
&ldquo;I feel Jedibeel should have run third to Briasa (an Everest rival), and he will take confidence from that, and his jockey Kerrin McEvoy as well.
&ldquo;Kerrin offered to come out and ride him work on Tuesday morning, but Rosie Jilla does all the work on him, and I don&rsquo;t want to change anything.&rdquo;
Jedibeel is raced by Gregg, his grandson Lachlan Sheridan and Gregg&rsquo;s Mulberry (which purchased The Everest slot earlier this year).
&ldquo;Plenty of work and thought went into choosing Mulberry&rsquo;s Everest runner, and eventually it was a no-brainer to select Jedibeel after he ran so well in the Premiere,&rdquo; Brad said.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t have to bargain with any other owners.&rdquo;
With 428 career winners (also including a maiden Group 1 triumph with Icebath at the 2022 Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington), Brad has been around long enough to fully realise the task confronting Jedibeel on Saturday.
TAB.com.au price assessors have listed him as the $101 outsider.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t be happier with Jedibeel,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s still on the up this campaign, and likes Randwick (two wins and two seconds there).
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping for a good draw when the barriers are released on Tuesday night as he needs a suck run off a fast pace, and can produce a really good sprint at the end if he gets that.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m confident he will run to the best of his ability and won&rsquo;t let anyone down.&rdquo;
HOOFNOTE: Newcastle&rsquo;s Kris Lees is the only provincial trainer before Brad to have any The Everest representatives.
He ran eighth with Clearly Innocent ($13) in the inaugural 2017 running, had a trio of runners &ndash; Le Romain, fourth at $9, Graff fifth at $8, and In Her Time seventh at $12) the following year, and In Her&nbsp;Time ($21) ran ninth in Yes Yes Yes&rsquo; 2019 victory.

BRAD’S WOULD BE SPRINTER PUTS HIM IN THE EVEREST LEAGUE

Brad Widdup

SUNDAY: October 5, 2025: HAWKESBURY&rsquo;S talented sprinter Jedibeel has earned a berth in the $20m The Everest field.
Leading trainer Brad Widdup confirmed this morning that Mulberry Racing had decided the gelding would run in their slot in Saturday week&rsquo;s feature.
Jedibeel ran home strongly when fourth to fellow Everest rival Briasa in yesterday&rsquo;s $1m Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick.
The Premiere was a weight-for-age contest, and The Everest will be run under the same conditions.
Jedibeel is already a winner at wfa, having produced a dazzling turn of foot to take the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 8 when on resumption.
&ldquo;We had a meeting this morning when the decision was made to go with Jedibeel for The Everest,&rdquo; Brad said.
&ldquo;Mulberry went through a proper process and took the advice of a number of respected form students.
&ldquo;I was really pleased to see Jedibeel run as well as he did yesterday, and Kerrin McEvoy was happy with him also.
&ldquo;He will ride him again in The Everest.&rdquo;
Whilst it will be Brad&rsquo;s first starter in the world&rsquo;s richest race on turf, he is taking it all in his stride.
&ldquo;Obviously it&rsquo;s a great thrill to be chosen to have a runner in The Everest, but I won&rsquo;t be changing anything with Jedibeel&rsquo;s training routine in the next fortnight,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;He has come through yesterday&rsquo;s race well, and I believe still has a bit of improvement.
&ldquo;Jedibeel had a setback when he jarred a joint just before we were ready to begin this preparation in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 6.
&ldquo;Whilst it wasn&rsquo;t major, it was still a setback and as a result he didn&rsquo;t resume until The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick a fortnight ago.
&ldquo;Things didn&rsquo;t go right for him in the run that day, and he got a much better set-up yesterday and showed that he is worthy of lining up in The Everest.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m fully aware it is not going to be an easy task, but I&rsquo;m pretty happy with him.&rdquo;
Jedibeel is rated at $51 chance with TAB.com.au in the latest The Everest market, dominated by Hong Kong champ Ka Ying Rising ($1.60), who will trial at Randwick on Tuesday morning.
Jedibeel was the first and only yearling Brad purchased in 2021 for Mulberry&rsquo;s Mike Gregg, who races the now six-year-old gelding in partnership with his grandson Lachlan Sheridan.
He recalls he went beyond Gregg&rsquo;s budget to get the son of Cox Plate winner Savabeel at the Inglis Classic sale for $190,000 because he really liked the horse &ndash; and didn&rsquo;t want to let him slip.
Gregg went along with Brad&rsquo;s decision, and so began a blossoming association between owner and trainer.
Jedibeel has won eight races and been placed as many times from 24 starts, and is verging on millionaire status.
His $40,000 from the Premiere fourth took his earnings to $969,650.

BRAD’S JEDIBEEL INTO THE EVEREST

&nbsp;
THURSDAY: September 25, 2025: HE&rsquo;S done very well!
The equine namesake of Young Mister Grace, a star of the popular British sitcom of the 1970s-80s Are You Being Served, was entitled to those plaudits after an impressive debut at his home track today.
Young Mister Grace and his brother Old Mister Grace owned the fictional Grace Bros department store in the series, and the former regularly told his staff: &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve all done very well&rdquo;.
Leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup was confident his three-year-old could also do very well in the Richmond Club Super Maiden Plate (1000m) &ndash; and he was correct.
Ridden by Dylan Gibbons and starting a well-backed $1.50 favorite, the Anders colt overcame an awkward beginning to trounce his rivals.
In a local quinella result, Young Mister Grace defeated another debutante, Mitch and Desiree Kearney&rsquo;s filly Miss Johanski ($101) by more than three lengths.
Young Mister Grace is the first foal of the Zoustar mare Enstarnito, who raced only once and was retired to start a breeding career.
The colt is raced by multiple Group 1 winner Think It Over&rsquo;s breeder-owner Richard Johnston, who also bred him and gave him to Brad to train.
&ldquo;Young Mister Grace is the first horse I have trained for Richard, and I have taken my time with him,&rdquo; Brad said this evening.
&ldquo;He trialled twice as a two-year-old earlier in the year and trialled well, but I wasn&rsquo;t ready to pull the trigger and send him to the races.
&ldquo;He had a break and trialled twice again, and I was confident he was ready to start his career and run well.&rdquo;
Think It Over&rsquo;s regular rider Nash Rawiller partnered Young Mister Grace in his latest trial at Rosehill Gardens on September 9, but wasn&rsquo;t certain of making the colt&rsquo;s weight at Hawkesbury &ndash; and Gibbons got the call up.
Brad followed up Money Team&rsquo;s Warwick Farm victory yesterday by posting his eighth winner of the new season.

HE DID VERY WELL INDEED

WEDNESDAY: September 24, 2025: PERHAPS they should rename him Money Tree?
That&rsquo;s exactly what a lightly-raced five-year-old called Money Team has been to his new connections since leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup picked him up for $55,000 online in May last year, and syndicated amongst a group which includes son Cooper.
A son of I Am Invincible, Money Team fetched a cool $1m at the Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale in 2022, and raced five times; four for Melbourne trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, and was placed in all four (the first at Gosford and other three at the provincials in Victoria).
In seven starts under Brad&rsquo;s banner, the now gelding has won five races; the latest at Warwick Farm today in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m).
Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, Money Team always travelled like a winner notwithstanding his 60.5kg and comfortably defeated Peace Officer ($6.50) and Winston Hills ($4 favorite).
Cooper Widdup not only was part of the winning team as an owner, but strapped the gelding.
Though Brad bought Money Team in May last year after he ran second in a Werribee Maiden Plate (1400m) as a $1.22 hotpot, he didn&rsquo;t produce him until January 26 this year when he made a successful debut for his new stable in a Maiden Plate (1200m) at Wyong.
&ldquo;I tried him as a colt, but he was too soft,&rdquo; Brad explained this evening.
&ldquo;He kept going sore everywhere, and there was no option but to geld him if we wanted him to be a racehorse.&rdquo;
Money Team&rsquo;s five wins included a heat of autumn&rsquo;s Provincial-Midway Championships (1200m) at Gosford (earning $76,250), and Brad sent him to Brisbane for a resumption third under 60kg in a Class 4 Handicap (1200m) at an Eagle Farm Saturday meeting on August 30.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t disappointed with his run, and brought him back home and gave him time to get over the trip,&rdquo; Brad said.
&ldquo;Whilst I expected him to run well today in a midweek event, I was surprised he was such good odds.&rdquo;
Money Team was Brad&rsquo;s seventh winner of the season, his career 425th and the Hawkesbury training base&rsquo;s 25th success since August 1.
Meanwhile, Brad&rsquo;s top sprinter Jedibeel will get another chance to push his claims for a spot in the $20m The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 18 when he races there on Saturday week.
Jedibeel had a setback which ruled him out of a resumption at Randwick on September 6 in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) before running eighth to Joliestar in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at that track last Saturday.
&ldquo;Things didn&rsquo;t work out for him in the run,&rdquo; Brad said.
&ldquo;He is in great order and will go to the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) on Saturday week.
&ldquo;If he doesn&rsquo;t make The Everest, there is still the $2m Sydney Stakes (1200m) the same day.&rdquo;
The Premiere is run at weight-for-age, and eight-times winner Jedibeel was successful in the wfa Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick in March, getting out late and unleashing a brilliant turn of foot.

HE’S A MONEY TREE FOR SURE

FRIDAY: September 12, 2025: YOUNG Hawkesbury jockey Poppie Gorton has made the successful transition from an eventer to a winning apprentice.
And though her master, leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup no longer prepares his maiden Group 1 winner, the now retired Icebath, the classy mare played an important role in her decision to make the switch.
Eighteen-year-old Gorton, at her ninth race ride, broke the ice at Goulburn today with a convincing victory on Brad&rsquo;s four-year-old mare Forcefilly ($8) in the Maiden Handicap (1100m).
&ldquo;I was born and bred into eventing, and that has been a big part of my life for the first 16 years,&rdquo; Gorton said on Sky Racing after her success.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a very big change, but well worth the move.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s extremely special to win my first race, and I can&rsquo;t thank Brad enough for the support he has given me since I started working for him when I was 15.&rdquo;
Gorton, however, didn&rsquo;t initially have her sights fixed on becoming a jockey.
That changed when Widdup&rsquo;s assistant trainer Rosie Jilla showed a video of her riding Icebath in a gallop down the straight before she won the Group 1 at Flemington (2022 Myer Classic).
&ldquo;That sparked my fire to become a trackwork rider, and Brad said: &lsquo;Why don&rsquo;t we try for an apprenticeship&rsquo;.
&ldquo;I said of course. My parents weren&rsquo;t happy but I still did it.&rdquo;
Forcefilly was third emergency for the Maiden Handicap, but a heavy track ensured a number of scratchings, providing her with a berth in the field.
Unfortunately, Brad wasn&rsquo;t close by to watch his young apprentice clinch a watershed moment in her career.
He has been attending the Keeneland September yearling sales in the USA with Jedibeel&rsquo;s owner Mike Gregg, and is en route home, due to land in Sydney early tomorrow morning.
Brad&rsquo;s wife Milissa said everyone at their Hawkesbury stable cheered loudly for Gorton as she needed to give Forcefilly only one flick with the whip to comfortably defeat Tomcat Flowers ($2.80) and K&rsquo;gari ($6.50).
&ldquo;It was fantastic to see Poppie get her first win,&rdquo; Milissa said.
&ldquo;She is super keen, and has had no luck in her earlier rides, many of her mounts drawing poorly.
&ldquo;Poppie started with us in January 2023 after she finished Year 10 at school.
&ldquo;Senior jockeys Christian Reith and Grant Buckley have been of great assistance to her.
&ldquo;Poppie&rsquo;s parents bought her a mechanical horse last Christmas, and she now has it here at our house for Christian and Grant to watch her.&rdquo;
Forcefilly is raced by Brad&rsquo;s long-term supporters BK Racing &amp; Breeding and their racing manager Ben Vassallo, and has only recently joined his Hawkesbury stable.
The daughter of Invader was previously trained at the Gold Coast, and was having only her second start for her new trainer.
. HOOFNOTE: Jedibeel will gallop between the first and second races at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow in preparation for a belated return in the $1m Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick next Saturday.

POPPIE’S “EVENT” A WATERSHED MOMENT AT GOULBURN

FRIDAY: August 29, 2025: BRAD Widdup wasn&rsquo;t going to wait!
Hawkesbury&rsquo;s leading trainer had unraced filly Bianca Mia in races at Gosford today and Wyong on Sunday &ndash; and she drew poorly in both.
&ldquo;I like the filly and have been waiting to get her to the races,&rdquo; Brad said this evening.
&ldquo;It was a smaller field at Gosford today than Wyong on Sunday, so I decided not to wait any longer.&rdquo;
Ridden by Christian Reith, Bianca Mia ($14) made a successful debut in the Provincial Maiden Handicap (1000m).
Reith eased her back to last from her outside barrier in the field of eight and then tracked up strongly with cover approaching the home turn.
Bianca Mia went right to the outside in the straight and unwound a sustained burst to get there in the nick of time, overhauling fellow Hawkesbury trainer Peter Green&rsquo;s Bold And Blazen ($7) in the shadows of the post.
Gosford trainer Kylie Gavenlock&rsquo;s $2.60 favorite Dietrich was third.
Bianca Mia (by Too Darn Hot) is the sixth foal of former good Brisbane mare Bianca Jewel, and was bred by her owner, North Queenslander Joe Rapisarda.
&ldquo;It was terrific to get a debut victory for Joe with this filly,&rdquo; Brad said.
&ldquo;He is a good supporter of our stable, and is great to deal with.
&ldquo;Bianca Mia has had a couple of preparations and, not being a big filly, I was patient with her.&rdquo;
Bianca Mia was Brad&rsquo;s fifth winner of the new season, and he is &ldquo;spreading his wings&rdquo; with runners in both Sydney and Brisbane tomorrow.
However, his promising three-year-old Nashville Jack may not take his place in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow.
Brad will make a final decision prior to the 7.30am scratching deadline.
Last start Hawkesbury winner Sunset Park (Alysha Collett) runs in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill, and Confess Our Dreams (apprentice Siena Grima) resumes in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m).
Brad has sent Kind Gesture (Class 6 Handicap, 1600m) and Money Team (Class 4 Handicap, 1200m) to Brisbane to race at Eagle Farm tomorrow.

BRAD’S FILLY MAKES WINNING GOSFORD DEBUT

SUNDAY: August 24, 2025: BRAD Widdup could not have summed it up better.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been an unbelievable weekend,&rdquo; Hawkesbury&rsquo;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).
Brad&rsquo;s weekend double took his career tally to 422, and he put it all in context when discussing both winners.
&ldquo;Obviously when you win a Group race at Randwick, it&rsquo;s a big thrill,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;Especially when you win a Maiden at Newcastle, and then Savvy Hallie takes a quantum leap to a Group 2 in town.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;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).
&ldquo;But coming from the country (Brad was born at Albury), it was also pretty special to win my first Country Cup today with Ruby Flyer.
&ldquo;I ran second with Phearson in the Goulburn Cup two years ago, and second with High Dandy in last year&rsquo;s Dubbo Cup.&rdquo;
Savvy Hallie, the dearest Hellbent yearling sold last year (BK Racing &amp; 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.
&ldquo;You always worry when a horse with ability goes to the paddock if they will come back as good or better,&rdquo; Brad said.
&ldquo;Savvy Hallie has certainly come back better. She is such a good filly.&rdquo;
However, Brad remains guarded as to whether Savvy Hallie attempts all four legs of the Princess Series at Randwick.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s one race at a time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;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.
&ldquo;But we&rsquo;ll wait and see about the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) on October 5. She might be a bit sharp for the mile.&rdquo;
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&rsquo;t be denied when the second and third placegetters threw out late challenges.
Brad was both pleased and relieved to see Ruby Flyer strike winning form again in today&rsquo;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.
Brad was left dumbfounded when Ruby Flyer flopped at Randwick on July 26 in a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1600m) at his second start this campaign.
&ldquo;I knew just after the jump that day that he wasn&rsquo;t travelling,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;He had a poor post-race recovery and we had him scoped, but couldn&rsquo;t find anything wrong.
&ldquo;It was totally out of character that run, and 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.
&ldquo;Ruby Flyer really loves heavy ground. That&rsquo;s three from three on heavy tracks.&rdquo;
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, Brad has some thinking to do.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll have to plan a program for him,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;And obviously I&rsquo;m hoping Randwick will be heavy when the Big Dance comes around.&rdquo;
. 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&rsquo;s Group 3 Premier&rsquo;s Cup (2000m) at Randwick.
She incurred a mandatory three months&rsquo; ban, which includes at least eight weeks in a paddock.
Stablemate Jedibeel (Kerrin McEvoy) will trial at Hawkesbury tomorrow morning as Brad readies him for a return to racing.
&ldquo;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,&rdquo; he said.

BRAD’S “PRETTY SPECIAL” WEEKEND FEATURE DOUBLE

THURSDAY: August 14, 2025: HAWKESBURY&rsquo;S leading trainer Brad Widdup has been searching for another quality mare following the retirement of his Group 1 winner Icebath.
Perhaps he may have found one in today&rsquo;s easy as you like Newcastle winner Savvy Hallie.
Brad was pleased to see the three-year-old daughter of Hellbent break her maiden status at her first start since placings at Group level at Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick during the autumn.
Savvy Hallie ($1.65 favorite) gave her jockey Jay Ford an armchair ride in the 900m Super 3YO Maiden Plate as she flew out of the stalls, settled outside the leader, fellow Hawkesbury trainer Jason Attard&rsquo;s Charlina ($16), and cleared out over the last 200m to score by five and a half lengths.
A $320,000 buy at last year&rsquo;s Inglis Classic yearling sale, Savvy Hallie is raced by BK Racing &amp; Breeding and their racing manager Ben Vassallo.
She was having her fifth start when she won today.
It was a similar story with Icebath, who also broke through at her fifth start at Newcastle (on the Beaumont track) when beginning a new campaign.
Whilst there is plenty of water to flow under the bridge yet and Brad certainly isn&rsquo;t making any comparison with Icebath, he holds a good opinion of Savvy Hallie.
&ldquo;The 900m was a bit of a concern today, but it was a suitable race to get her underway and lose her maiden status,&rdquo; he said after returning home.
&ldquo;She will take improvement from that, and I feel 1400m to 1600m will be ideal for her as she progresses.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll look at a couple of legs of the Princess Series for three-year-old fillies in Sydney.
&ldquo;Savvy Hallie is going the right way, and hopefully can go to the next level.&rdquo;
TAB.com.au market assessors quickly took heed of the filly&rsquo;s performance and cut her quote from $26 to $15 for the Group 1 $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 4.
Though the ease of Savvy Hallie&rsquo;s victory wasn&rsquo;t a surprise, her starting price of $1.65 was.
Rated a $1.24 chance after final scratchings this morning, bookmakers were prepared to take risks with her, and she got to as much as $1.90 in some quarters.
Dietrich ($4.20) and Alexius ($31) did best of the chasing pack, albeit in vain, and filled the minor placings.
Meanwhile, Brad is looking forward to Nashville Jack&rsquo;s second run this campaign in the Listed The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Jason Collett again partners the three-year-old, who was impressive in scoring first-up at Randwick in a 2YO Handicap (1100m) on July 26.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really happy with how Nashville Jack is going,&rdquo; Brad said.

BRAD’S “SAVVY” FILLY IN NEWCASTLE ROMP

AUGUST 12, 2025: SHE could easily have gone to the breeding barn without racing &ndash; and now has won three of her six starts.
Leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup kicked off the new season at home today when blueblood Sunset Park ($3.60 favorite) led throughout and ran her rivals off their legs in the Clarendon Tavern Benchmark 64 Handicap (1800m).
The now five-year-old mare began quickly, jumped the crossing soon after the start and then gave her opposition the &ldquo;jump&rdquo;.
She was never in danger thereafter and had two and a half lengths to spare at the post over runner-up Jacob&rsquo;s Time ($6), who tried valiantly to match her.
Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Peter Green, who drove a $51 winner (Rogervalerio Lombo) at Menangle yesterday, ran third with Avion Fury ($11).
Sydney businessman Adrian Whittingham purchased the unraced Sunset Park online at a UK sale, and races her under his Cross Park banner.
She is a daughter of Sea The Stars, regarded as one of racing&rsquo;s greats who won six Group 1s in the same year (2009), beginning with the 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby and concluding with France&rsquo;s Prix de l&rsquo;Arc de Triomphe.
Godolphin offered Sunset Park at the broodmare sale, but also stated that she could be bought as a racing proposition before embarking on a breeding career &ndash; and Whittingham chose Brad to train her.
Sunset Park was the trainer&rsquo;s 400th career winner when successful in a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (2000m) at Hawkesbury in February, and followed up on an excellent first-up fourth in an unsuitable 1300m Midway Benchmark 64 at home on July 20 by adding to her record in style.
&ldquo;I could have run her on the Kensington track tomorrow over 1800m, but today&rsquo;s race looked a perfect set-up for her,&rdquo; Brad said this evening.
&ldquo;Sunset Park is a lovely mare and enjoyed being able to take up the running.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure she is going to take further improvement from this race and, now that she has won again, deserves her chance in town next.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, Brad is pleased with Nashville Jack&rsquo;s progress since his first-up city success, and is hoping to double up with him at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The talented three-year-old will contest the Listed The Rosebud (1100m), with Jason Collett again his rider.
Only seven three-year-olds initially were nominated for the race, but the ATC received an extra four when entries were extended.
Nashville Jack, at only his third start, convincingly won a 2YO Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on July 26 when resuming.

BRAD’S BLUEBLOOD MARE A “JUMP” AHEAD OF HER RIVALS

SUNDAY: July 27, 2025: THE season is not quite over, but it&rsquo;s been another excellent one for Hawkesbury&rsquo;s leading trainer Brad Widdup.
His first-up victory with promising youngster Nashville Jack at Royal Randwick yesterday was his 61st in 2024-25, equalling his number the previous season, and for the third racing year his horses have topped $4m in earnings.
And he also beat major Sydney stables to land his first home track trainers&rsquo; premiership.
&ldquo;Very pleased with how the season has gone,&rdquo; Brad said today.
&ldquo;We did have a bit of a lull in regard to winners earlier in the year, but we&rsquo;re finishing the season well.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to the new racing year with some nice young horses in the stable.&rdquo;
One of those horses is Nashville Jack, a son of Golden Slipper winner Farnan, purchased by Brad for $225,000 at last year&rsquo;s Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale on behalf of Sydney businessman Mike Gregg&rsquo;s Mulberry Racing, whose bumble bee colours have been well to the fore with eight-times winner Jedibeel, including one at Group 2 level.
Ridden by Jason Collett, Nashville Jack ($4.60) surged along the inside to clearly land the 2YO Handicap (1100m) from Hello Romeo ($13) and Wisnierska ($81).
He was having only his third start and first since the autumn after racing well in both the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 22 and Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra on March 9.
&ldquo;Nashville Jack shifted a shoe in the Canberra race, and was very lucky he didn&rsquo;t do serious damage,&rdquo; Brad said.
&ldquo;He had won both his recent trials, and I expected him to run very well yesterday.&rdquo;
Rather surprisingly, most punters preferred Gosford debut winner Nazwah, who started $1.90 favorite, but she was found wanting at the end and ran sixth.
Never one to put false wraps on his horses, Brad nonetheless likes Nashville Jack&rsquo;s style.
&ldquo;He has a good brain and a good temperament,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;You always want to see them do it again next time, but he is a nice horse and hopefully can go on to better things as a three-year-old.&rdquo;
Brad said Nashville Jack had pulled up well, and would most likely contest the Listed Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill on August 16 next.
Brad had enough faith in the colt&rsquo;s ability to convince his owner to also buy the half-brother (Snitzel-Dixie Chick) for $300,000 at the same Inglis Australian Easter yearling sale in April.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s different to Nashville Jack,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Not as athletic, but a real nugget and is in the stable now.&rdquo;
Brad is chasing further city success at the last meeting of the season at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, with both recent Newcastle winner Audrey&rsquo;s Lane and former Victorian mare Kind Gesture likely to contest the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) against their own sex.

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BRAD’S FILLY MAKES WINNING GOSFORD DEBUT

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