Being on the wrong side of a photo finish in a feature race is nothing new to trainer Brad Widdup but he remains hopeful Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel) can bury memories of his narrow last start loss by winning the Doomben 10,000.
The sprinter went down by a short half-head to Libertad in the Victory Stakes (1200m) last start, although if anybody was equipped to handle the disappointment, it was Widdup.
His star mare Icebath was edged out in the 2020 Golden Eagle by Colette, the 2021 Doncaster Mile by Cascadian and then again by Superstorm in the Cantala Stakes the following spring.
“I have been through a few of them,” Widdup quipped.
“I’m the King of photo finishes that don’t fall my way.
“It’s a big thrill to see them run well in big races but you’ve got to have a tough demeanour to get through it.”
Thankfully for Widdup, Icebath finally had a change of fortune when she won the 2022 Empire Rose Stakes and he is hoping Jedibeel can likewise turn his luck around.
The five-year-old has been carefully managed, allowed to work his way through the grades before Widdup finally raised the bar to more elite company over the Sydney autumn carnival.
Jedibeel responded with a strong win in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) and was far from disgraced in the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) when finishing just over two lengths from winner Briasa.
“I have probably just held him back a little bit and he is finally getting there,” Widdup said.
“It has been good to give him a trip away and he ran great the other day.
“Another run or two up there won’t hurt him then we will probably stop and see what happens in the spring but he’s going really well.”
A backmarker, Jedibeel will need a genuine tempo but with a full field of 16 including the speedy Overpass, Hidden Wealth and Belclare (NZ) (Per Incanto), he is drawn to enjoy an economical run from barrier three.
Tyler Schiller partnered him to his Challenge Stakes win and is back in the saddle on Saturday – and hopefully on the right side of any photo finish.