SAD TOUCH TO MARE'S FARM WIN

WEDNESDAY: October 16, 2024: BATHURST one day, Warwick Farm the next!

Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup followed a breakthrough victory with lightly-raced mare Dubai Dame at Bathurst yesterday by getting Confess Our Dreams back into the winning list at Warwick Farm today.

Sadly however the latter mare’s Melbourne owner Akram Younan didn’t live long enough to see the now four-year-old post her fourth success at only her eighth start.

“Akram has been ill for some time and passed away last week,” Widdup said en route home from the track.

“He has been a good supporter of my stable, and our family expresses our deepest condolences to his family.”

Younan bred Confess Our Dreams, a daughter of Shalaa, from his Choisir mare The Beautiful Wife, who died in May last year.

Sydney’s premier jockey James McDonald had the mount on Confess Our Dreams ($1.70 favorite) in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) against her own sex, and 61kg topweight and a “bunny hop at the start” as he put it, wasn’t enough to stop her scoring.

She beat a late finishing Angel Fund ($16) and Kembla Grange mare Let’s Go Again ($19), who made a bold bid in search of a hat-trick.

“Despite her big weight, Confess Our Dreams was well placed coming back to midweek grade after two good runs since resuming in stronger Saturday grade,” Widdup said.

“She did a really good job to win after being slowly away, and James was happy with her.”

Dubai Dame and Confess Our Dreams lifted Widdup’s number of winners already this season to 18, and his career tally to 375.

And he’s hoping to again make his mark on Saturday at both Royal Randwick and Caulfield.

High Dandy and Ausbred Flirt, both Tyler Schiller mounts, and Ruby Flyer, to be ridden by stable apprentice Zac Wadick, will be his Randwick representatives.

Dubbo Cup runner-up High Dandy (Tyler Schiller) tackles the Big Dance Wild Card (1600m), where the first two placegetters secure free tickets into the $3m Big Dance over the same course there on November 5.

Ausbred Flirt goes back to her own sex in the Group 3 Angst Stakes (1600m), whilst Ruby Flyer takes improvement from one run back for his Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m) assignment.

Widdup has given the go-ahead for Phearson (John Allen) to head south for the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Phearson drew well (barrier 5) in the capacity field of 16, and will be floated to Melbourne on Thursday night.