RESISTANCE TO NAME FILLY PAID OFF

SUNDAY: December 1, 2024: NAMING a horse often can result from simply a combination of some of the letters of both the sire and dam.

At other times, a lot of thought goes into choosing a name.

Such was certainly the case with three-year-old filly Rose’s Legacy, who shed her maiden status at Newcastle today.

Rose’s Legacy ($6) in the Jim O’Neill Memorial Maiden (1500m) was the first leg of a winning double for leading Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup, who trains both her and his other winner, fellow three-year-old filly Hyperbolic ($2.40 favorite) in the Super Maiden Plate (1300m).

Stable apprentice Zac Wadick rode both winners, taking his season’s tally to 22.

Widdup went to New Zealand last year to buy both Rose’s Legacy (by Churchill) and Hyperbolic (by Proisir) for $200,000 and $240,000 respectively at the NZ Bloodstock Karaka yearling sale on behalf of Sydney businessman Mike Gregg.

Naming Rose’s Legacy didn’t come easy, but it was definitely well worth the effort as Widdup’s wife Milissa explained on Sunday night.

“As Rose’s Legacy is out of Paris Rock, Mike’s thoughts turned to a French theme, and he knew the history about Rose Valland,” Mrs Widdup said.

“Rose was a French art curator, member of the French Resistance, captain in the French military and one of the most decorated women in French history.”

Ms Valland turned spy to secretly record details of the Nazi plundering of National French and private Jewish-owned art and, working with the French Resistance, saved thousands of valuable works of art.

“We tried and were knocked back for a number of proposed names for this filly, but didn’t give up and finally got Rose’s Legacy,” Mrs Widdup said.

“It’s fitting given the filly’s dam’s name has that French connection.”

The Widdup fillies were having their fourth career starts, and second this preparation - and each had finished second in their maiden racing campaign.

Widdup is currently in the UK attending Tattersalls sale, his double lifting his season tally to 27 and came a day after both Jedibeel (who also races in the bumble bee colours of Gregg’s University of NSW Cricket Club) and Confess Our Dreams both failed to handle the rain-affected ground at Rosehill Gardens.

Gregg, a terrific supporter of Widdup’s stable, races Rose’s Legacy on his own and his nephew Jim Amedee joined him to race Hyperbolic.

“I’m sure we are going to have a lot of fun with these fillies,” Mrs Widdup said.

“Rose’s Legacy is a classic filly in the making over a middle distance, and Hyperbolic should get at least 1600m and perhaps a bit further.”