Latest News

By Ray Hickson

With the maiden monkey of Savvy Hallie’s back, trainer Brad Widdup is looking to strike early in the Princess Series and secure what he feels would be a deserved stakes win at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Brad Widdup

The series kicks off with the Group 2 $300,000 Sintoro Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) and Widdup said it an next month’s Furious Stakes are excellent chances for Savvy Hallie to enhance her value.

But as far as the Group 1 Flight Stakes that wraps the series is concerned, Widdup said his suspicion is that Savvy Hallie is more the sprinting type.

“Definitely the early races but I think she may be too brilliant for 1400m to a mile,’’ Widdup said.

“Being realistic I think she is a pretty sharp sort of filly so we’ll have to take it run by run and change tack when we need.

“It’s only spring, we don’t have to overdo it in the spring but we’d like to see where she gets this time through and obviously some black type would be great.”

Savvy Hallie, $4.20 with TAB on Thursday, brings race fitness into the Silver Shadow with her first-up win over 900m on a heavy track at Newcastle a nice way to add almost $40,000 to her earnings.

Widdup signalled his opinion of the filly when, after a narrow defeat to King Of Pop on debut, she took on some of the best of her age recording Group placings behind subsequent Group 1 winner Nepotism and Golden Slipper placegetter Tempted in April.

“All the good horses I’ve been around have always shown ability at the trials and she was one of them,’’ he said.

“It’s nice to win a maiden especially when she’s done what she’s done so far.

“We had a few cracks with her last time, she didn’t win but she ran terrific in those races.”

With a versatile racing pattern, Widdup says Jay Ford will have options to sum up the best place to be from the wide barrier in the Silver Shadow.

“Ideally I’d like her to be racing with a bit of cover but she has naturally got good early gate speed and puts herself in the race so I’d imagine she’ll roll forward,’’ he said.

Hasty Honey was due to tackle the Rowley Mile on Thursday but with that meeting felled by rain Widdup said the Group 3 $250,000 The Agency Real Estate Premier’s Cup (2000m) was a back up option he’ll give consideration to.

The mare was narrowly denied a hat-trick when cut down late by Investment at Randwick a month ago.

“I’m not 100 per cent sure we will go, we’ll see what happens with her,’’ he said.

“The 2000m may be her limit in this sort of grade but she’s going great, I’m rapt with her.”

The Hawkesbury trainer said Bella Khadijah may take a short break through the early spring if she doesn’t measure up in the Wilf And Rosemary Mula 50th Anniversary Mile (1600m).

The four-year-old was a heavy track winner when resuming on her home track and has finished just off midfield in two subsequent city starts behind Amusing.

“She’s probably in at a hard time of the year with the better horses coming back,’’ Widdup said.

Savvy Hallie wins at Newcastle on August 14

“She won really well at Hawkesbury then she went straight to Saturday and it shows it’s not that easy. I’d say we’ll have to assess her after Saturday.”

Brad Widdup on Ruby Flyer (Goulburn Cup Sunday): “I think we forget his last run, it was a head scratcher, he was good first-up. He seems really well and loves the heavy going. The Goulburn Cup now is virtually a black type race, it’s getting stronger and stronger, there’s good prizemoney and it’s not easy to win. He’s going to get conditions to suit, he obviously needs to bounce back from his run the other day but to me he seems to be ticking over nicely.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting