Junglized challenged to match winning duo

Fresh from a double on Mudgee Cup day, Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup is willing Junglized to continue the trend with a coveted metropolitan win at Rosehill.

The three-year-old gelding was Widdup’s first runner – and winner – at Canberra in May shortly after he started training out of Platinum Park following a decade on Godolphin’s staff.

Widdup is now hoping Junglized can provide another memorable moment when he returns to Saturday grade company in a Benchmark 75 Handicap (1200m).

In three starts since being gelded, Junglized has registered a second and back-to-back wins at Hawkesbury and Canterbury over 1100 metres.

“The gelding has helped him relax and race a lot better. He’s just racing a lot more genuinely,” Widdup said.

Widdup was also impressed with unbeaten colt Spellology and maiden winner Contemplate, who justified their pre-race favouritism at Mudgee on Friday.

Spellology claimed a Class One Handicap (1400m) and four-year-old Contemplate got off the mark in a Maiden Plate (1500m).

“It’s good to bring a couple out there and win. You don’t come all this way to run last,” Widdup said.

Widdup, who had five winners from just 15 runners last season, has already racked up 18 wins, including four at city midweek meetings.

“Everything’s excellent at the moment,” he said.

“Obviously we’d like a few more city winners but it’s not easy to do. You’ve just got to be patient and bring the right ones to town.”

Widdup has a full complement of 33 in work at Damion Flower’s Platinum Park but expansion plans are underway with another 24 boxes scheduled to be ready by February.