Widden Stakes quinella for Arrowfield sires

The Arrowfield roster’s challenge for the season’s major 2YO prizes was given another boost at Rosehill on Saturday when Honesty Prevails (by Redoute’s Choice) and Smart Amelia (by Smart Missile) ran one-two in the $150,000 ATC Widden S. 1100m G3 at their first starts.

It was a terrific performance by both fillies in a strong field that may well yield plenty of good form this Autumn. Honesty Prevails jumped well for Jason Collett who settled her in fourth position on the fence, with Smart Amelia behind her, but forced to travel wide throughout.

Kentucky Miss and Vixen Lass led into the straight while Collett found space for Honesty Prevails who then sprinted clear to win by 2.3 lengths in 1:05.73 – slightly faster than the colt Tessera posted a race earlier in the Canonbury Stakes G3.

Smart Amelia had more ground to make up, but found enough to snatch second from Chipanda and impress her jockey Christian Reith who said, “Super run. Still doing a couple of things wrong but once she irons them out she’ll be a very nice filly.”

Watch Honesty Prevails win the ATC Widden S. G3.

Collett was even more impressed with Honesty Prevails.

“She destroyed them. Just an out and out racehorse. She’s got a great head on her. Just took it in her stride. Puts herself in the spot, races professionally and coming to the turn I was pretty confident when I’m the only one travelling.”

Honesty Prevails is trained by Rick Worthington who purchased the filly with owner Trevor Gluck and agent John Hutchinson of Scone Bloodstock from the Arrowfield draft at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.

Knocked down for $720,000, Honesty Prevails is the second living foal of Flavoured (by Hussonet), also dam of stakes-placed city winner Aerobar, from the family of champion US racehorse & sire A. P. Indy.  Flavoured has a weanling colt by Exceed and Excel and is in foal again to Redoute’s Choice.

Honesty Prevails takes her three-time Australian champion sire’s tally of stakeswinners to 127; she is also his 30th juvenile stakeswinner.

Redoute’s Choice also appears in Smart Amelia’s pedigree, as the sire of her dam My Amelia, a More Than Ready daughter of Carry On Cutie (AJC Champagne S. G1). Smart Amelia is trained by James Cummings for her breeder Richard Pegum, Matthew Sandblom and Westcode Pty Ltd.

Smart Amelia is Smart Missile’s second stakes performer from his first 11 runners, after New Zealand Listed winner Sassy ‘N’ Smart.

The Golden Slipper is now on the radar for Honesty Prevails, while another Redoute’s Choice filly, Sheikh Hamdan’s Zamzam put herself in play for the Blue Diamond after a super debut win at Moonee Valley on Friday evening.

Redoute’s Choice already has two Golden Slippers and two Blue Diamonds on his record, but there is, of course, always room for more…