COLT MAY BE ON VICTORIA DERBY PATH

SUNDAY: September 29, 2024: BRAD Widdup’s forward thinking could result in getting him his first Group 1 Victoria Derby runner.

The leading Hawkesbury trainer’s promising staying three-year-old Tenbury Wells was to have raced on his home track last Thursday, but the meeting was called off not long before a race was run.

Fortunately, Widdup had taken the opportunity earlier that morning to also accept with the colt for a Class 1/Maiden Plate (2000m) at Kembla Grange two days later.

All ended well as Tenbury Wells ($1.80 favorite), cleverly ridden by Alysha Collett, easily defeated his rivals on Saturday to convince his trainer he is worth a shot at “bigger fry”.

“We couldn’t afford to miss a run with him,” Widdup said on Sunday.

“He needed to have another run now, otherwise it would have thrown our program out.

“Alysha gave him a great ride, and he did the job in good style.

“We were thinking about the Gloaming Stakes ($500,000 Group 3 over 1800m at Rosehill Gardens on October 12) next, but Tenbury Wells might go to Melbourne now.

“There is the Classic (2000m) at Caulfield on October 19 and the Vase (2040m) at The Valley a week later, both for three-year-olds.

“They are the options in Melbourne we have leading up to the Derby (2500m) at Flemington on November 2, and I feel he deserves his chance.”

Widdup has fond memories of the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington. The 2022 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), won by Icebath, provided him with his maiden Group 1 success.

The $2m Derby is run at the same meeting, and Widdup considers Tenbury Wells is talented enough to be his first representative in the blue riband.

“Tenbury Wells was a bit of a lad when we first bought him as a yearling, but he is maturing and that is showing in his performances,” he said.

“Importantly, he has a really good turn of foot.”

Collett had Tenbury Wells away smartly at Kembla Grange, and made use of him to sit second behind eventual third placegetter Okami Star ($21) passing the 1400m rather than sit wide.

She had Tenbury Wells travelling strongly on straightening, and he swept past the front-runner and quickly put up a winning margin.

He scored by more than three lengths from War Ribbon ($5.50), following on from an also impressive 1600m Maiden Plate victory at the same track a fortnight earlier.

The form was confirmed two races earlier on Saturday when Lugarno, who chased him home on September 14, romped home with a 1600m Maiden Plate, also partnered by Collett.

Tenbury Wells was Widdup’s 16th winner of the season, and the 19th in September for the Hawkesbury training base.

. Widdup was on the road to Dubbo on Sunday, and nearly completed a big weekend with High Dandy, who races in the same colours as Tenbury Wells.

High Dandy ($9), with Collett aboard, looked to have the $150,000 Big Dance Eligibility Gold Cup (1600m) in his keeping until $71 local bolter Sneak Preview emerged from the ruck to overhaul him in the closing stages.