In-form Jasmine has sweet smell of success
Fresh from clinching back-to-back trainers' premierships at Hawkesbury, Brad Widdup has in-form mare Satono Jasmine (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) ready to stretch her winning sequence to four at Randwick.
The filly rises to Saturday company for the B & K Group Australia Handicap (1800m) off the back of a hat-trick of victories in provincial and midweek grade, and Widdup admits he's surprised she has been able to come so far in just her second preparation.
"If you'd asked me if I'd thought she'd get to Saturday grade this time around, I would have said, 'no'," Widdup said.
"She has done a really good job.
"I was half thinking about putting her in the paddock after last start, but it's a fillies and mares race over 1800 on a Saturday worth A$160,000. You've got to have a crack.
"She's in really good order, so fingers crossed she can run well again."
Satono Jasmine posted back-to-back wins at Gosford and Hawkesbury by a combined total of more than eight lengths, both on rain-affected ground.
But any thoughts she was purely a wet track specialist were put to bed when she scored on a good surface at Warwick Farm last start.
The one thing her victories have had in common is the distance - they've all been over a mile - and Widdup is looking forward to stretching her in trip on Saturday before sending her for a well-earned spell.
"I've wanted to push her out over further and she's found a fillies and mares' (benchmark) 78 on a Saturday, so we'll see what happens," he said.
Making Satono Jasmine's vein of form even sweeter is the fact Brad Widdup Racing is one of two part-owners.
Her connections also raced her half-sister, Pro Velocity (NZ) (Proisir), whose best result in 17 starts for them was a 2100m win at Newcastle's Beaumont track.
"That makes it a bit better too. We had Pro Velocity, the sister and didn't have much luck, so this one is repaying that. Fingers crossed she can keep going on with it." - RAS NewsWire
