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Jedibeel defying breeding to carve sprinting niche

Brad Widdup will look to aim Jedibeel at some summer sprints following his third win this campaign.

JEDIBEEL winning the SCHWEPPES HANDICAP at Rosehill in Australia.
JEDIBEEL winning the SCHWEPPES HANDICAP at Rosehill in Australia. Picture: Steve Hart

As a son of noted staying sire Savabeel, Jedibeel was bought with the intention of running in distance races, but he is fast proving himself to be a very capable sprinter.

The gelding took his record to six wins from 14 starts with a dominant performance in Saturday's Schweppes Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill, trainer Brad Widdup admitting he wasn't initially expecting the horse to be so sharp.

"I bought him to run 2000 metres," Widdup said.

"After his first prep I said to (owner) Mike (Gregg), 'I don't think this horse will run 1200 metres'.

"I did a genetic test on him and he came back as a sprinter. That made us focus on sprinting with the horse and it has helped a lot

"We used to do that a bit at Godolphin, not on every horse but on those that might not be going the right way on race day."

Jedibeel isn't the first of Savabeel's progeny to excel over shorter journeys, top galloper I Wish I Win also being by the 2004 Cox Plate winner.

Widdup is keen to raise the bar for the four-year-old, although Jedibeel is likely to go for a spell first before returning to tackle some of the feature summer sprints.

"I think he is starting to find his feet as a horse," Widdup said.

"We gelded him this time in and he has been faultless.

"I will probably give him a break now. In December there is the Razor Sharp (Handicap), or a race like that."

Ridden by Tyler Schiller, Jedibeel ($3.40) scored by 2-1/2 lengths over Contemporary($4.80) with Iowna Merc ($12) third.


Racing and Sports



Rosehill Saturday, 20th July 2024

5f103y TURF SOFT
AUD $160,000

SCHWEPPES HANDICAP

AUD $160,000
Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
5f103y TURF SOFT
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 7. JEDIBEEL (NZ) 4yo G
SAVABEEL (AUS) - STARRY (NZ)
TYLER SCHILLER
BRAD WIDDUP
$3.4
55kg
M J Gregg & L Sheridan

Sales Information

2nd 2. CONTEMPORARY (AUS) 4yo G
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - MEMORIAL (AUS)
NASH RAWILLER
JAMES CUMMINGS
$4.8
59kg
Godolphin
3rd 3. IOWNA MERC (AUS) 4yo G
WINNING RUPERT (AUS) - MERCEDES (AUS)
RACHEL KING
BJORN BAKER
$12
58kg
Darby Racing (Mgr: S Darby), M Cameron, R Farrell, I Luck, R Russell, Ms C Wilson, G Worsnop, Allunga Racing (Mgr: L Osborne), Frazelstone (Mgr: Ms A Fraser), Jimlee Racing (Mgr: Ms L Caff), Mclaren & Snaith Saturday Club, Redbacks FC Racing, Darby Racing Mercedes, G Stretton & Mrs M Stone
4th 9. IN FLIGHT (AUS) 3yo F
FLYING ARTIE (AUS) - WAVELINE (USA)
JAY FORD
JOSEPH PRIDE
$2.4
52.5kg

Sales Information

5th 5. KEY LARGO (AUS) 7yo G
I AM INVINCIBLE (AUS) - PETTY CURY (AUS)
ZAC LLOYD
BRYCE HEYS
$61
56kg

Sales Information

6th 4. QUICK TEMPO (AUS) 5yo G
RUBICK (AUS) - TAWFIQ VALLEY (AUS)
JASON COLLETT
MARK MINERVINI
$18
58kg

Sales Information

7th 1. SIVKA BURKA (FR) 4yo F
SIYOUNI (FR) - DYNADIN (GB)
JAMES MCDONALD
CIARON MAHER
$11
59.5kg

Sales Information

8th 8. VAINSTREAM (AUS) 9yo G
BEL ESPRIT (AUS) - YASEY SAN (AUS)
MS MOLLY BOURKE
GEOFFREY CROTHERS
$201
52kg

Sales Information

9th 10. EXTRA FLASH (AUS) 6yo G
MOONLARK (USA) - ORIENTAL SMILE (AUS)
SHAYLEIGH INGELSE
BRETT THOMPSON
$101
51kg

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