TRAINERS SHARE DUAL STATE FOCUS

FRIDAY: May 2, 2025: HAWKESBURY trainers Brad Widdup and Jack Pilkington share the same Saturday focus – but in different States. 

Each is chasing a feature success; Widdup with Jedibeel when the Brisbane winter carnival begins at Eagle Farm, and Pilkington at his home track at Hawkesbury Race Club’s 20th anniversary stand-alone metropolitan meeting.

Group 1 winning trainer Widdup has planned a two-start Brisbane weight-for-age campaign with his eight-times winner Jedibeel, who contests the $300,000 Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m).

Pilkington is seeking a stakes breakthrough with Alabama State in the $250,000 Group 3 Elite Sand & Soil Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m).

Whereas the Eagle Farm rail is out seven metres, it’s in the TRUE position at Hawkesbury.

Robbie Dolan rides Jedibeel, whilst Pilkington as of late Friday afternoon had not yet confirmed a rider his three-year-old.

Surprisingly, Widdup does not have a runner at his home track meeting, explaining “it’s just the way things turned out”.

He gave Group 2 winner Jedibeel a tick-over 740m trial at Royal Randwick on April 24 when he led throughout and was never pressured in defeating Crafty Eagle and Rantan.

“He trialled really well and has settled in well in Brisbane,” Widdup said today.

“Provided he runs well on Saturday, he will go on to the $1m Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) in a fortnight.”

Reigning Melbourne Cup winner Dolan, now based in Brisbane, is no stranger to riding for Widdup.

He won three races – including the Group 3 Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) at Randwick in 2021 – on the now retired Vulpine, and also rode the trainer’s star mare Icebath in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at the same track later that year.

Pilkington says he is playing ‘riding roulette’ waiting to book a jockey for Alabama State, who gave him a city breakthrough at Rosehill Gardens last October before finishing fourth in both The Four Pillars (1500m) at that track and Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle the following month.

Alabama State has raced twice since resuming; his latest being sixth to Sergeant Major in the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick on April 12.

“I had hoped to book Jason Collett for the Hawkesbury Guineas, but he took the mount on Annabel and Rob Archibald’s Alabama Fox,” Pilkington said.

“Alabama Fox drew awkwardly (but has been withdrawn from a Brisbane engagement), and I’ll wait to see whether she runs at Hawkesbury.

“I have made RacingNSW stewards aware of the situation. If Alabama Fox runs, I will get the best available jockey for my horse.”

Pilkington has such an opinion of his colt that he has already nominated him for the $3m Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 14.

His first Brisbane assignment will be the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) for three-year-olds at Eagle Farm on May 31.

“Stefi Magnetica ran third in the Fred Best last year and then won the Stradbroke a fortnight later,” Pilkington pointed out.