Three black-type races will run at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse this Saturday, including the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m).
Calaverite will carry the top weight of 57.5kg in the Widden Stakes this Saturday. Photo by Steve Hart.
11 two-year-old fillies have accepted for the race, three of which are making their debut.
Both Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller will deliver dual-pronged attacks on the 2015 Widden Stakes. Waterhouse will saddle Giulietta and Pierrette while Waller has accepted with both Micucci and Always Allison.
Giulietta will begin her $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) campaign on Saturday, for which the filly is a $17 hopeful at Ladbrokes.com.au.
The two-year-old filly won her debut at Rosehill earlier this month, taking out the Tab Place Multi Plate (1100m). Giulietta got brilliantly away and led clearly in the early stages of the race. The filly steadied the tempo and travelled well in front before dashing clear on ing the 300 metres. She went on to score decisively with plenty in hand, winning two and a half lengths clear of runner-up I’m Not Sure.
Giulietta will get the ideal jump from barrier three with Christian Reith to ride. Both of Waterhouse’s fillies will carry 56kg, which is up to two kilograms more than they won with last time.
Pierrette, who won the Tab Betting Season Plate (1000m) back in October, will jump from barrier six with Blake Shinn.
Always Allison is making her debut for Waller but will need to overcome a wide start from barrier 11 while Micucci will search for her first win after finishing outside the placings in both of her two starts from barrier eight.
John O’Shea will also saddle two fillies in the 2015 Widden Stakes – Calaverite and Igraine. The stablemates were first and second in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) back in October and will race each other again on Saturday.
Calaverite headlines the field with a top weight of 57.5kg and will jump from barrier five with Sam Clipperton to ride while Igraine has scored an inside jump from barrier two with newly-appointed Godolphin head jockey James McDonald
Godolphin racing manager Jason Walsh revealed this morning that while both fillies were accepted for the Widden Stakes, connections would wait until Saturday morning to make a final decision given the recent downpour in Sydney.
Garry Frazer’s Entracing will enjoy the inside jump from barrier one with Tye Angland to ride. The filly missed out on a placing last time out in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1000m) on January 10.
Check out the complete 2015 Widden Stakes final field and barrier draw below.
Betting markets for the race will open at Ladbrokes.com.au shortly so make sure your online betting s are open and ready to go.
2015 Widden Stakes
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x | CALAVERITE | John O’Shea | Sam Clipperton | 5 | 57.5kg |
| 2 | 1 | GIULIETTA | Gai Waterhouse | Christian Reith | 3 | 56kg |
| 3 | 1x | PIERRETTE | Gai Waterhouse | Blake Shinn | 6 | 56kg |
| 4 | 2x | IGRAINE | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 2 | 54.5kg |
| 5 | 2x | TEMPT ME NOT | Bart & James Cummings | Tommy Berry | 9 | 54.5kg |
| 6 | 23 | FIREWORKS | Gerald Ryan | Brenton Avdulla | 7 | 54.5kg |
| 7 | 45 | MICUCCI | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 8 | 54.5kg |
| 8 | 4 | ENTRANCING | Garry Frazer | Tye Angland | 1 | 54.5kg |
| 9 | – | ALWAYS ALLISON | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | 11 | 54.5kg |
| 10 | – | LAKE GENEVA | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Dwayne Dunn | 10 | 54.5kg |
| 11 | – | YATTARNA | Bart & James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 4 | 54.5kg |
