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Widdison set for Super Christmas after Ted Ryder Cup day double at Wagga
IT IS set to be a prosperous Christmas at the Widdison household after the Wodonga stable landed a winning double on Ted Ryder Cup day at Murrumbidgee Turf Club.
Wodonga trainer Craig Widdison captured the first ever $50,000 Super Maiden Handicap (1065m) held at Wagga with promising sprinter Baggage Handler ($2.40).
Experienced jockey Nick Souquet rode the three-year-old like a good thing and that's exactly what he proved to be as he raced away to score by one and a half lengths.
Baggage Handler did plenty of work to eventually cross and lead but then had the audacity to offer a big kick in the home straight to win eased down.
The Peter Clancy-trained Kaida Blaze ($34) powered home for a mighty second, while Dolly ($5.00) was a further two and three quarter lengths back in third place.
It capped off a big day for Widdison, who had Doogan's Design ($13) take out the Class Two Handicap (1200m).
Widdison was rapt with the day out, particularly by taking out Wagga's first Super Maiden.
"They're fantastic, another great concept in New South Wales isn't it?" Widdison said with a laugh.
"At the end of the day, I nearly consider myself a New South Welshmen.
"It will be a good Christmas, for sure."
Baggage Handler won a Wagga trial in October stylishly but was just run down on the line on debut at Benalla over 1100m.
Owned by Greg McNulty's Snow Road Thoroughbreds, Baggage Handler was never going to get run down this time.
Widdison believes the Squamosa gelding has a big future.
"He's a nice horse," he said.
"He trialled real good and we expected him to win at Benalla and he just wobbled around the turn and probably cost himself, which he hadn't done previously but race pressure for the first time I suppose.
"He's still immature, he's going to be better next prep but he's a lovely horse. He's still got to physically develop a bit more too but he's going to have a big future I think."
Widdison hasn't got anything immediately picked out for Baggage Handler.
"After Benalla we gave him a couple of weeks off just because his bloods said he wasn't really coping with the workload so we just backed off with this race in mind and I thought it would be nice to get him to this," he said.
"Now we'll just see how he pulls up but if he's got to have a break, he's going to a break a winner."
As for Doogan's Design, she made it back-to-back wins and three victories from six race starts with her all-the-way success.
Widdison said it might be time to have a crack at a midweek city race with the four-year-old mare.
"She's a handy mare, she's building a good record and is three from six now," he said.
"It looked like a really even race today but the more I looked into it the more I thought she was every bit as good as them.
"The way the track played probably helped her but it was a good ride (by Simon Miller) and blinkers on has changed her again.
"I think she's going good enough to have a little look at a midweeker, a fillies and mares midweeker or something like that."
Article by The Daily Advertiser
