Gavin Bedggood will launch a significant team at his home track on Saturday as he strives to win the Cranbourne Cup for the first time.
Four of the 18 runners accepted for the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) come from his stable, though Bedggood acknowledges that not all of them are guaranteed to run.
That will be particularly welcome news for emergencies Pondalowie and Scheelite, who have been allotted favourable barriers one and two.
Casino Seventeen and St Lawrence, however, have drawn wide in barriers 16 and 18, and Bedggood is contemplating diverting them to the $200,000 Kilmore Cup (1600m) on Sunday.
“He wants to get a soft run, do no work and be getting clean air late,” Bedggood said of Casino Seventeen.
“Drawing 18 he probably has to go a long way back and it probably sets him a bit of a task.
“He’s got a nomination for Kilmore, so that might be an option.
“It’s not ideal for St Lawrence either. The Kilmore Cup is an option on Sunday, so we’ll have to have a look and see how it pans out.”
Jennilala has drawn best of the stable’s four in barrier five, with Declan Bates to ride, while former Cup winner Charterhouse — successful two years ago when trained by Ciaron Maher — has come up with barrier 13.
Bedggood said Jennilala’s last-start effort could be forgiven entirely.
“She was very plain last start, but it was very heavy ground, and you wouldn’t have even known she had gone around,” he said.
“She just had a day out on the heavy conditions. Her form previously had been pretty solid, so she should land in a prominent spot from that draw.
“She’s a lovely sound horse that has been effective on dry ground, so hopefully we’ll get that.”
Charterhouse has only had two runs for the stable — a first-up Sandown win followed by a last-place finish in the Seymour Cup — but Bedggood believes his draw is not a major concern.
“His win for me at Sandown he was close to the speed but when he won the Cup here two years ago, he came from well back,” Bedggood said.
“I would say he lines up. There looks to be decent speed and he’s drawn wide, so it should generate good speed for him early with horses pushing forward, so it might not be that bad.”
Bedggood opted not to accept with Presser for the Cranbourne Cup and will instead run him in the Kilmore Cup.
“As well as he is going, he’s still an 82-rater and small fish are sweet sometimes,” he said.
“We would like to keep earning prize money with him, so I’m happy to aim a bit lower with him at this stage.”
