Bathurst preview: New partnership can strike early blow

Trainer Brad Widdup will saddle-up his first runner for industry giant Gerry Harvey at Bathurst and expectations are high for a debut success.

Trainer Brad Widdup is hopeful his new partnership with a racing Goliath begins amid celebrations and fanfare.

Brad Widdup breaks new ground at Bathurst on Monday saddling-up his first runner for industry giant Gerry Harvey.

Queen Bellissimo was bred at Harvey’s New Zealand HQ, Westbury Farm, and is a daughter of the hugely underrated resident stallion and Oakleigh Plate winner — Swiss Ace.

“Gerry is enormous for racing,’’ Widdup said. “It is massive for us to have someone like Gerry Harvey in the stable, he is such a great supporter of racing and breeding across the board.’’

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Widdup has certainly served up Queen Bellissimo every chance to do what both her sire and dam did — that is, win on debut, in Monday’s Bathurst Communications Fillies & Mares maiden over 1100m.

The filly showed plenty of her dad’s pace and speed to win an 800m trial at Hawkesbury 12-days ago by two and a half lengths.

Widdup thinks Queen Bellissimo has the motor to win on debut, but may be better suited to 1400m and a mile further down the track.

“I don’t think she is a deadset sprinter though,’’ Widdup says. “I think she is a filly that will get out to 1400m and maybe a mile but this is a good starting point for her.’’

Widdup has four runners at Bathurst on Monday, Queen Bellissimo Louder, Soldier’s Desire and Showtime Lady all judged capable of winning their respective races.

Epaulette filly Soldier’s Desire went within a neck of breaking her maiden at home at Hawkesbury last start but should find the Lithgow Furniture and Bedding Maiden (1400m) a more comfortable fit.

“She’s been great. Her two runs this prep have been really good and she goes into Monday’s race in really good order,’’ Widdup reported.

The trainer of Golden Eagle runner-up Icebath is desperate for a change in fortune vis-a-vie All Too Hard mare Louder when she lines-up in the Erins Quality Outdoor Power Centre Class 1 Handicap (1400m).

A close relation to Group 1 siblings Assertive Lad and Assertive Lass, Louder has only won once on her 13 starts but her talent outranks her C. V.

“She has been terribly unlucky, nothing seems to go right for her. I have just taken her back in grade to see if I can a win back on the board,’’ Widdup said.

“She should have won a couple last time in but she was very stiff and the other day she had a pretty tough run there at Kembla.’’

Widdup has four runners engaged at Bathurst.

A ripping barrier trial from Showtime Lady combined with barrier 1 should see the James Harron syndicated filly to the fore in the last race on the card.

‘’She is one of those fringe horses that once she matures and wins a race or two she will probably be back racing closer to Sydney but unfortunately you have got to head a bit wide with these horses to try and find the race,’’ Widdup said.

“It’s even hard to go out there (to Bathurst), it’s very competitive and you’ve got good trainers and good jockeys from all over the place so the added the prizemoney has definitely added competition which is a good.’’

Widdup’s point is well made, particularly when it comes to the jockeys riding at Bathurst today including – Sam Clipperton, Chad Lever, Keagan Latham, James Innes Junior, Kayla Nisbet and Blake Spriggs who is booked for all four of the Widdup quartet.

Scone preview: Stellar performance forecast

Scone trainer Scott Singleton will be on hat-trick of Highways on Boxing Day with Remlap’s Gem likely to make a return trip to Sydney in search of his second Highway.

Remlap’s Gem’s Rosehill Highway victory came just seven days prior to stablemate Rich And Shameless’s win at Royal Randwick on Saturday which took Singleton’s recent tally to four winners from his last 10 runners.

Singleton can raise the stakes at Monday’s Scone meeting thanks to a strong hand made up of four of live chances namely Ananagram, debutant Easier, last start winner Baiyka and luckless 2018 Gimcrack runner — Stellar Blaze.

One of those recent winners on Singleton’s C.V is Dream Ahead daughter Baiyka who led throughout to win her 1000 maiden at Scone 10-days ago clocking the fast time of 56. 92 seconds.

“The wide barrier is the worry on Monday but she is nice and fit and it is just one corner from the chute there over the 1000m start,’’ Singleton said.

“She is going really good and has really bounced out of that last run. She has eaten up and she looks great and her work has been terrific. I think she will definitely be in the finish.’’

New Zealand bred on of Proisir, Ananagram’s best run of his four starts came at home when he was runner-up in to the handy Be Brilliant in July.

“He has always been a horse that I have really liked,’’ Singleton said. “He probably quite hasn’t come up to what we thought of him up until now but we will see what happens on Monday.

“We weren’t really happy with the first trial he had this prep but I thought he trialled better the other day. The blinkers are on him on Monday and he worked really good in them (on Saturday).

Chances are the 1300m may be a bit short for another of the camp’s NZ-bred residents in easier but she has the making (and pedigree) of a nice horse going forward, Singleton says.

“She probably wants a little bit of ground but she has done enough at the trials and will run a competitive race.’’.

As for Stellar Blaze, she is — and has always been — infinitely better than a horse who has won just once in 15 starts.

Originally published as Bathurst preview: New partnership can strike early blow