MONDAY: October 2, 2023: JEDIBEEL, racing in the bumble bee colours, “stung” bookmakers at Warwick Farm today.
And premier Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup believes the talented four-year-old can measure up to Saturday company in town.
As much as $9 was bet about Jedibeel, who went to the post in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) as a $4.20 favorite.
Giving jockey Tyler Schiller the final leg of a treble, Jedibeel travelled strongly in the run, hit the front in the straight and held off early favorite Written In Code ($4.60) to post his first city success.
Brad purchased the horse for $190,000 on behalf of Sydney businessman Michael Gregg at the 2021 Inglis Classic yearling sale.
He races him in the bumble bee colours of his University of NSW Cricket Club.
Jedibeel has now won three of his seven starts and been placed in the other four, including a narrow second when on resumption at Kembla Grange in August to recent Flemington winner Dancing Alone.
The horse’s pedigree – being by Group 1 Cox Plate winner Savabeel from the unraced O’Reilly mare Starry – suggests he would be effective over ground, but that is not the case.
“We had genetic testing done which showed he is a sprinter,” Brad said this evening.
“Anyway as he is racing so well at sprint distances, why would you try to stretch him out further?
“I will probably now have to go to a Saturday Benchmark 78 Handicap in town, but I feel he is up to it.”
. Brad, who won his 10th race of the season, has entered recent first-up Royal Randwick winner Ausbred Flirt for both Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday.
She is amongst the entries for the $1.5m Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens, and Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
“At this stage, I am favoring sending her to Melbourne to run against her own sex, and Craig Williams is on standby to take the ride,” Brad said.
Williams last spring, also at Flemington, provided Brad with his maiden Group 1 victory when he partnered the now retired Icebath in the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).