Tenbury Wells has arrived at a stage in life where Brad Widdup needs to find out if he can play with the big boys.
The progressive colt will face his toughest test as a three-year-old in Saturday’s $500,000 Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill.
He steps up from maiden and Class 1 wins at Kembla Grange at his past two and while Widdup has always considered him better than that grade, they served a purpose.
“I couldn’t just go throwing him in the deep end, I had to get him to learn to race a little bit before we got to this stage, but he’s done everything we’ve asked and they’ve been really good wins,” Widdup said.
“He’s doing things right, he’s a really nice colt to work with and I’m very hopeful that he can raise the bar and get to a good level.”
Tenbury Wells was tested at Group 1 level as a two-year-old, when Widdup had an end-of-prep throw at the stumps in the Champagne Stakes, in which he finished second-last.
The $250,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase is by Fastnet Rock out of the Savabeel mare Dowager Queen, who ran second in the VRC Oaks (2500m) and third in the Queensland Oaks (2400m).
Tenbury Wells is one of four horses at single-figure odds in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, with the other three – Henlein, Swiftfalcon and El Castello – also engaged in the Gloaming Stakes and Widdup said Saturday’s race will determine next steps.
“I’m keen to see if we look at the Spring Champion or go to the (Victoria) Derby,” he said.
“He looks like a horse who’ll run a mile-and-a-half, he’s a very tough horse and done nothing wrong this preparation.”
The $2 million Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) will be run at Flemington on November 2, seven days after the $2 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.