WIDDUP'S FILLY VERY "SAVVY" FIRST-UP

THURSDAY: August 14, 2025: HAWKESBURY’S leading trainer Brad Widdup has been searching for another quality mare following the retirement of his Group 1 winner Icebath.

Perhaps he may have found one in today’s easy as you like Newcastle winner Savvy Hallie.

Widdup understandably was pleased to see the three-year-old daughter of Hellbent break her maiden status at her first start since placings at Group level at Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick during the autumn.

Savvy Hallie ($1.65 favorite) gave her jockey Jay Ford an armchair ride in the 900m Super 3YO Maiden Plate as she flew out of the stalls, settled outside the leader, fellow Hawkesbury trainer Jason Attard’s Charlina ($16), and cleared out over the last 200m to score by five and a half lengths.

A $320,000 buy at last year’s Inglis Classic yearling sale, Savvy Hallie is raced by BK Racing & Breeding and their racing manager Ben Vassallo.

She was having her fifth start when she won today.

It was a similar story with Icebath, who also broke through at her fifth start at Newcastle (albeit on the Beaumont track) when beginning a new campaign.

Whilst there is plenty of water to flow under the bridge yet and Widdup certainly isn’t making any comparison with Icebath, he holds a good opinion of Savvy Hallie.

“The 900m was a bit of a concern today, but it was a suitable race to get her underway and lose her maiden status,” he said after returning home.

“She will take improvement from that, and I feel 1400m to 1600m will be ideal for her as she progresses.

“We’ll look at a couple of legs of the Princess Series for three-year-old fillies in Sydney.

“Savvy Hallie is going the right way, and hopefully can go to the next level.”

TAB.com.au market assessors quickly took heed of the filly’s performance and cut her quote from $26 to $15 for the Group 1 $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 4.

Though the ease of Savvy Hallie’s victory wasn’t a surprise, her starting price of $1.65 was.

Rated a $1.24 chance after final scratchings this morning, bookmakers were prepared to take risks with her, and she got to as much as $1.90 in some quarters.

Dietrich ($4.20) and Alexius ($31) did best of the chasing pack, albeit in vain, and filled the minor placings.

Meanwhile, Widdup is looking forward to Nashville Jack’s second run this campaign in the Listed The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Jason Collett again partners the three-year-old, who was impressive in scoring first-up at Randwick in a 2YO Handicap (1100m) on July 26.

“I’m really happy with how Nashville Jack is going,” Widdup said.