Banger ($21) finished two and a half lengths behind Caulfield trainer Mick Price’s Cardinet ($2.70F), with Darren Weir just short of back-to-back wins in the event with Malevolent ($3) third.

“Terrific, I was really confident after he galloped Tuesday morning, I was pretty bullish and then he drew the outside barrier again (barrier eight) and I dropped the lip,” Widdison said.

“But I thought he was great, (jockey) Jake (Duffy) seemed to think that if he’d drawn better  … he could have nearly picked the winner up.”

Widdison says he wasn’t disheartened by Banger’s second-last on debut last month.

“He just missed the kick … as young horses do,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Victorian Jockeys Association says scans have revealed jockey Jack Hill suffered a fractured jaw and C1 vertebrae, while Mikaela Lawrence appeared clear following a race fall.