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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Brad Widdup would like to think Savvy Hallie could develop into a Princess Series horse in the spring but the focus for now is getting a win on the board in Tuesday’s Group 3 $250,000 Rosehill Bowling Club Baillieu (1400m) at Rosehill.

Trainer Brad Widdup (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The youngster has raced twice, for a narrow defeat to subsequent Black Opal winner King Of Pop on debut before she had to concede a big start when fifth in the Reisling behind the Golden Slipper winner and third placegetter.

So the form around her tells Widdup the potential is there to be realised.

“I don’t want to get carried away, at the end of the day I’d like to win a race before we worry about all that stuff but I think she has quality,’’ he said.

“She’s a nice filly, obviously it’s a strong enough sort of race but I think she’s going to be a nice filly for the stable.

“We’ll probably get through this and see what happens but she’ll probably go for a break.”

Savvy Hallie, $7 with TAB on Monday, found herself back last on the turn in the Reisling and she reeled off the third fastest last 600m of 33.88 (Punter's Intelligence) to be beaten four lengths by Tempted.

With a more favourable draw this time Widdup hopes she won’t be giving away so much start and is relatively confident she’ll handle the conditions.

“We’ve drawn well, Jay’s had a ride on her so hopefully we can be a little bit closer and she should run well,’’ he said.

“She’s a good moving filly, but you don’t know until you run them on a wet track. She’s a real athlete and I can’t see why not, she should be able to get through it.”

The blinkers come off Tenbury Wells for the Group 2 $300,000 Toyota Forklifts Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and Widdup hopes he can be more controlled than in the Randwick Guineas.

Tenbury Wells finished last in the Group 1 mile and Widdup is expecting him to improve away from the real top line three-year-olds.

“I’m not completely blaming the blinkers last start but I’d have egg on my face if I left them on and he did it again,’’ he said.

“He’s got to improve but half his problem is we’ve been chasing his fitness to race well at the level he’s racing at.

“He got gelded after the Derby and we’ve been battling to get him conditioned properly, he’s slowly getting there and is probably going to come right by the time Queensland comes around.

“We’re not taking on the A graders, but they are the A minus so we’re slightly back in grade and the Derby winner could come out of this race.”

Five of the last 10 ATC Derby winners have contested or won the Tulloch, though this year the back up is four instead of seven days.

Savvy Hallie runs fifth in the Reisling on March 8

Meanwhile Widdup said he’ll decide on race morning whether Hardpoint takes his place in the Tulloch or heads to Newcastle.

“I think he’s going well, I know he got beaten last start in a Class 1 but things didn’t go his way. Ideally I’d like to go a softer option but I’ll see how it plays out,’’ he said.

Brad Widdup on Canny Queen (race 6): “You should never be scared of one horse and her run at Kembla was pretty good. With 100m to go she was in front and from a torrid run. She probably lacks a bit of the class of the favourite but she’s tough and she’s done nothing wrong.”

All the fields, form and replays for Stakes day at Rosehill