Nashville Jack (AUS)
2 c Farnan – Dixie Chick, by Star Witness
O: Mulberry
B: H & J Blight, NSW
T: Brad Widdup
S: 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale V: Riversdale P: Brad Widdup Racing, $225,000
W: Keeneland September Yearling Sale Handicap. 1100m, Royal Randwick, July 26
Mulberry Racing-owned colt Nashville Jack (Farnan) returned with a bang on Saturday when he scored a convincing win in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Handicap (1100m) at Randwick.
Trained by Brad Widdup, the colt made his debut finishing fourth in the Silver Slipper (Gr 2, 1100m) behind Beiwacht (Bivouac), and then finished fifth in the Black Opal Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) before being sent for a spell.
He then returned on Saturday off the back of two-eye catching trial wins, and partnered by Jason Collett, he jumped cleanly from barrier two to settle midfield before surging home strongly to win with ease, defeating Hello Romeo (Hello Youmzain) by two lengths, with Wisnierska (Anders) 0.01 lengths behind in third.
“He’s come back controlled and excellent this time and it’s great to see,” said Widdup.
“He’s still growing into himself, but has always had natural talent and obviously contested a couple of strong races early on and I was umming and aahing about running today, but when he drew two it made the decision easy.”
Widdup said no plans had been set for the spring, but the colt has plenty of options.
“There are a lot of nice races ahead of us and we can just pick and choose,” he added.
Rider Jason Collett said: “He’s a nice horse; he’s got a bit of substance to him. He trialled really good coming into it and I don’t think he minded that soft ground as it’s probably on the worst side of a six. It was a good performance. It was quite soft in the end once he got to the front.”
Bred by the late Howard Blight, Nashville Jack was purchased by Brad Widdup Racing for $225,000 from the Riversdale draft at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
He is the third foal and third Metropolitan winner out of winning Star Witness (Starcraft) mare Dixie Chick, who is from the family of Singapore champion three-year-old Golden Monkey (Star Turn). Nashville Jack’s victory marked the fourteenth winner for Farnan (Not A Single Doubt), who graduated atop the first-season sire table in Australia by winners and will stand at Kia Ora Stud for an increased fee of $77,000 (inc GST) this season.