JEDIBEEL READY TO BE A FORCE IN $5m THE QUOKKA
- John Curtis
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
Hawkesbury’s leading trainer says his stable star Jedibeel fitted the bill when Trackside NZ/Perth Racing was looking for a Kiwi-bred horse to represent their slot.
The Quokka, the richest race to be run anywhere in Australia at the weekend, is in its infancy being first run in 2023 and is staged along similar lines to Sydney’s $20m The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick in spring.
Whilst Widdup is already a Group 1 winner with Icebath at Flemington in 2022, winning a $5m race on the other side of the country would indeed be very special.
“It’s an honour to be chosen to have a runner in such a rich race, and it would be life changing to win it, and especially for my major client Mike Gregg,” he said this morning.
“Jedibeel has settled in well since arriving in Perth late last week, and worked at Ascot yesterday morning with his regular trackwork rider Rosie Jilla.
“He wasn’t out to break any records, but is in great order.”
Jedibeel drew midfield in barrier seven yesterday, and will be ridden by Sydney’s Tyler Schiller, who has partnered the gelding in six of his eight wins, including the Group 2 wfa Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick in March last year.
“The draw is what it is,” Widdup said nonchalantly. “At least it’s better than what he has drawn so far this time in.
“Tyler obviously knows the horse well and if he can get a nice suck-up behind something else in the run, Jedibeel has that good sharp sprint to be very competitive.
“It’s undoubtedly the most open Quokka since the race was introduced.”
Jeidbeel this morning was a $13 chance (seemingly great value considering his overall record and his two excellent Group 1 performances this campaign), with Victorian sprinters Jigsaw and Rey Magnerio co-favorites at $4.20.
Jedibeel drew off the track when a first-up fourth to Tropicus in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 21, and again drew near the outside when he surged late from last at the 400m to be beaten a whisker by last year’s Golden Slipper winner Marhoona in The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
With earnings of nearly $1.9m (eight wins and nine placings from 28 starts), now six-year-old Jedibeel has been a fantastic flag-bearer for Widdup’s stable each of his racing seasons.
He was the first yearling Widdup purchased for Gregg – and he went over a $150,000 budget to secure him for $190,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic yearling sale.
Ironically, given the gelding’s breeding (Cox Plate winner Savabeel from O’Reilly mare Starry), it was expected he would be a “miler” and even stretch to 2000m.
Yet his wins have been from 1000m-1200m.
“Though the pedigree was there to get over further ground, Jedibeel had the physique of a sprinter when we bought him,” Widdup said.
“I knew in his first preparation that he wasn’t going to be a miler or get to a middle distance.
“We had a genetic test done, and it showed that he was a sprinter – and he is a pretty good one.”
Jedibeel is raced by Gregg, his grandson Lachlan Sheridan and Gregg’s Mulberry, which also races many horses in Widdup’s care, and races in the bumble bee colours of Gregg’s University of NSW cricket club.
. HOOFNOTE: Jedibeel’s The Quokka showing will determine further immediate plans.
“There’s the $1m Group 1 Goodwood Handicap (1200m) at set weights plus penalties at Adelaide’s Morphettville racecourse on May 9, and the $1.5m Group 1 Doomben Ten Thousand (1200m) at weight-for-age a week later to consider,” Widdup said.
