Nashville Jack's jump in grade for 2025 The Rosebud holds no fears for trainer Brad Widdup
Nashville Jack takes race fitness into Sydney's first stakes race of the new season after scoring his first win in three starts with a successful return at Royal Randwick a month ago.
'Everything is in good order with Nashville Jack since his first-up win, I can't fault him in any way,'' Widdup said.
'He looks a nice horse and hopefully he can measure up on Saturday.''
Nashville Jack hasn't raced on a heavy track in his short career but provided some evidence he will get through the going with his impressive Randwick win coming track rated a soft 6.
'The track was soft enough last start,'' Widdup said.
' Jason (Collett) said he got through it OK but I wouldn't say he is a 'swimmer' or anything like that.''
Rosehill was rated a heavy 10 on Friday but Australian Turf Club's track manager Michael Wood expects an upgrade on race morning with Sydney's improving weather forecast.
In overnight TAB Fixed Odds betting for The Rosebud, Nashville Jack is at $5 with Pallaton favourite at $2.40.
The Widdup stable has already had a good week with Sunset Park scoring a home-track win at Hawkesbury on Tuesday before promising filly Savvy Hallie won her maiden by more than five lengths at Newcastle on Thursday – and the trainer is hoping to continue his stable's winning momentum at Rosehill.
Savvy Hallie makes it look easy at @newcastleraces_! ðŸ'¨ @BWiddupRacing @benny_bkrace pic.twitter.com/ywhEEWGjDH
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 14, 2025
Widdup saddles up Audrey's Lane ($7) and topweight Be Real ($17) in the Rosehill opener, the Midway Handicap (1500m).
Audrey's Lane, a half-sister to 2014 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun, has been in good form this winter, winning at Newcastle before her last start fifth at the Warwick Farm midweeks.
'The outside barrier (13) is not ideal but Audrey's Lane is OK in heavy going, although I'm not sure if it is a heavy 9 or 10,'' Widdup said.
Be Real has 60kg for her comeback run but the mare is effective on soft-heavy tracks.
'I've got to get Be Real going this preparation and she does have wet track form,'' Widdup said.
'She may need the run but this is a drop in grade from what she was racing in last preparation. This race looks a good starting point.''
Widdup also has Hasty Honey ($8.50) entered for the R osehill Bowling Club Handicap (1900m) but the trainer is unsure if the mare will run from her wide barrier (16).
Sweet victory! �
Hasty Honey scores a strong win at Randwick! @KPMcEvoy @BWiddupRacing @aus_turf_club @HoneycombStud pic.twitter.com/zhRTHtGT3e
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 25, 2025
'This race has come up quite strong but she is going 'excellent','' Widdup said of Hasty Honey. 'We may even look at the Rowley Mile with her next Thursday.''
Meanwhile, Widdup said classy sprinter Jedibeel was coming up well for a spring campaign that could result in a start in the Group 1 $20 million The Everest on October 18.
Jedibeel, who broke 56s to win the Challenge Stakes over the Randwick 1000m course earlier this year, will have another barrier trial before resuming in either the Concorde Stakes or Moir Stakes next month.
'I will try and have Jedibeel as forward as I can first-up,'' Widdup said.
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Exhibition of the stars is weather-dependent
ROSEHILL (Sat): An exhibition gallop after the running of R1 by the Chris-Waller trained AELIANA (Jason Collett), FANGIRL (Kerrin McEvoy) & VIA SISTINA (James McDonald) over 1000m.
Following R2, the Waller-trained AUTUMN GLOW (Kerrin McEvoy) & LADY SHENANDOAH (James McDonald)…
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) August 14, 2025
The exhibition gallops of Horse of the Year-elect Via Sistina, Fangirl, Aeliana, Lady Shenandoah and Autumn Glow hinge on an improving Rosehill track rating.
Trainer Chris Waller 's outstanding mares are due to have gallops between races early on the Rosehill program but only if the track rating is upgraded to a heavy 9 before the first race.
Via Sistina (jockey James McDonald), Fangirl (Kerrin McEvoy) and Aeliana (Jason Collett) are due to work over 1000m after the Rosehill opener. Lady Shenandoah (McDonald) and Autumn Glow (McEvoy) will gallop after the second race.
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Hot offer to raise money for charity
Godolphin is auctioning a nomination to Darley Stud sire sensation Too Darn Hot – who will be mighty mare Winx's suitor this spring breeding season – to raise money for spinal cord injury research.
Andy Makiv, managing director of Godolphin Australia, said the fundraising initiative was a collaboration between Godolphin, the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust and England's Watership Down Stud where Too Darn Hot was bred.
The nomination will be Lot 1 in the Inglis Digital August Online Sale which runs from August 22-27.
Too Darn Hot, the dual hemisphere stallion and sire of Broadsiding, stands at $250,000 per service this spring and is already booked out for the breeding season.
'We have capped Too Darn Hot's book at 100 mares this spring,'' Makiv said. 'The stallion has a fantastic line-up of mares this spring led by the likes of Winx, In Secret, Savatiano, Lyre and others.
'Too Darn Hot is very hard to get into but we are proud to support CatWalk, which is such a wonderful charitable cause, and we are offering the 101st and final nomination to the stallion.
'We anticipate and hope the charitable amount from the online auction will be at least $250,000.''
Makiv said all proceeds from the online Too Darn Hot nomination auction goes directly to funding critical research to help those living with spinal cord injuries.
The New Zealand-based CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust was founded by Dame Catriona Williams after she sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury in 2002, is committed to curing spinal cord injury through world-class research, global collaboration, and patient-focused initiatives.
'Support like this is extraordinary,' Williams said. 'It's not just about funding research, it's about giving people hope.
'Every dollar raised helps move us closer to our goal to see people walk again. We're incredibly grateful to Godolphin and Watership Down for standing with us and believing in what's possible.'
At Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, Godolphin's famous royal blue colours could be carried to a brace of Rosehill wins with Amusing and Polyglot.
The Waller-trained Amusing got a new era for Godolphin off to the perfect start when she won the first Sydney Saturday race of the season earlier this month at Rosehill and the mare returns for the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (1900m) in which she is pressing for favouritism at $5.50.
With Godolphin transitioning to a public training model this season, Polyglot ($3.80 favourite) makes his debut for new trainer Michael Freedman in the TAB Handicap (1100m).
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5 YEARS AGO
Speedy colt Anders, trained by Ciaron Maher, led throughout and dominated his rivals to win The Rosebud by nearly five lengths. Runner-up Ole Kirk was simply out-sped over the Rosehill 1100m course but the talented colt trained on to win the Golden Rose-Caulfield Guineas Group 1 double that spring. Godolphin's brilliant mare Savatiano resuming with a fighting win over Sircconi in the Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield. Bella Nipotina was a $21 outsider when she won the Quezette Stakes first-up then later developed into the nation's best sprinter, winning four Group 1 races including The Everest last spring and retiring with prizemoney of more than $22.7 million.
Wow! Anders has come out and demolished them in the Schweppes Rosebud @cmaherracing @AquisFarm
A serious colt ðŸ'¥ pic.twitter.com/jYTsvEyMw7
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 8, 2020
10 YEARS AGO
The Gary Portelli-trained Sebring Sun unleashed a powerful finishing surge to score a career-best win in the Listed The Rosebud, defeating Voilier by a length. Mourinho, winner of the Australia Stakes and Peter Young Stakes at Group 2 level earlier in the year, resumed with a narrow win over The Cleaner in the Lawrence Stakes. Two starts later, Mourinho scored a career-best win in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes, defeating Fawkner and The Cleaner.
20 YEARS AGO
Lad Of The Manor, ridden by Greg Childs of Sunline fame, resumed in the Liston (now Lawrence) Stakes and got through the heavy 10 track conditions to win narrowly from Our Smoking Joe. Lad Of The Manor developed into a genuine weight-for-age horse that spring winning the Feehan Stakes next start then later in the spring scoring in the Group 1 Mackinnon (now Champions) Stakes.
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