Brad Widdup has two riders on standby to partner Jedibeel in this Saturday’s Group 1 The Galaxy depending on what weight the sprinter is allotted.
Handicaps for the 1100 metre feature at Rosehill will be released on Tuesday and once Widdup knows what impost Jedibeel will carry, he will lock in a jockey.
“Depending on the weight, we’ve got Tommy (Berry) booked, or Alysha (Collett), so we’ve got two bites at the cherry there with jockeys,” Widdup said.
“Hopefully he can draw a gate, and we’ll go from there.”
Jedibeel is among 25 entries for the $1 million The Galaxy with star grey Briasa, Challenge Stakes winner Generosity, Beadman and Grafterburners among his potential rivals.
Jedibeel tackles The Galaxy second-up after finishing fourth from a wide draw in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 21.
He was also among nominations for Saturday’s Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill, but Widdup opted to keep his powder dry and steer towards the major.
“I ‘ummed and ahhed’ about running (in the Maurice McCarten), but I thought, we’re going to get into the Galaxy with an OK weight,” he said.
“I had a good think about it, and we don’t have to run him all the time. We just have to pick the right races.”
Jedibeel finished ninth to Private Harry in The Galaxy 12 months ago when he drew an outside gate and got back in a leader dominated race.
His best result since then has been a photo finish second behind Libertad in the Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm in May, but he is an eight-time winner and is proven over the Rosehill 1100-metre circuit.
Widdup was in the winner’s stall at Rosehill on Saturday when Audrey’s Lane took out the Midway Handicap (1200m) to book her shot at gaining a berth in the Provincial-Midway Championships at Randwick in April, via a qualifying heat at Wyong on March 28.
Widdup did toy with sending the half-sister to 2014 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun around in the Gosford qualifier on March 14 but decided to head to Rosehill first-up instead.
“We’ll look at Wyong,” Widdup said.
“I had her in at Gosford, I just didn’t think it was the right track, but the way she went (at Rosehill), it might have been.
“But we’ll take this. She is a well-bred mare and it’s great to see her win.”
