Trainer Gavin Bedggood is set to achieve a personal milestone at Caulfield, fielding his first runner in a ‘major’ race.
While he has a history of Group 1 runners and winners, Kingswood’s participation in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday represents his first attempt at one of these significant races.
The elite ‘majors’ are traditionally understood to be the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, and Golden Slipper, with The Everest increasingly being added to this esteemed list.
It is fitting that the Caulfield Cup should be the ‘major’ race to mark this occasion, as Bedggood spent his younger years riding trackwork at the course.
“I rode work there as a kid when I was 16 years old,” Bedggood stated.
“And I grew up at Cranbourne and remember horses like Sky Heights walking around of a morning, and that would be one of my first memories of the Caulfield Cup. It’s exciting to be a part of it.”
Kingswood is entering Saturday’s race in strong recent form.
He was successful first-up in the Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) and has since recorded two fourth-place finishes at weight-for-age – the Underwood Stakes and last Saturday’s Might And Power.
Bedggood confirmed that the campaign has progressed without any hitches.
“It’s been a faultless campaign,” Bedggood said.
“He hasn’t had a bad blood, he hasn’t had an unsound day. We’ve run in all the races we’ve wanted to along the way and this has been the Grand Final that we’ve picked. He knew he’d had a run Sunday morning after the Might And Power, but we were very happy on Tuesday. What will be, will be.”
Kingswood is expected to contest Saturday’s race from the second-outermost gate, provided no emergencies gain a start.
Bedggood acknowledged that the draw is not ideal but suggested it would allow the entire to be ridden more patiently, a contrast to his forward rides in his last two outings.
“He’s gone forward by default at his last two starts,” Bedggood explained.
“He’s drawn wide in small fields with a lack of tempo on paper and he’s been left there, whereas first-up he was third or fourth pair back. He’s on trial at a mile-and-a-half (2400m), so we’ll just want to let the speed go, find a good spot, midfield or second half, get a good resting run and hopefully he’ll be there at the finish.”
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