Trainer Gavin Bedggood would like to add the Cranbourne Cup to the record of No Effort.
Former jumps jockey Gavin Bedggood cannot believe how far stable star No Effort has come in the past two years.
Bedggood took over the training of No Effort 18 months ago, five starts after her previous trainer Alan Cooper had won the Pinker Pinker Plate at Cranbourne in October 2019.
On Saturday, No Effort will be racing for Cranbourne’s biggest prize, the Listed $500,000 Cranbourne Cup, this year shortened from 2025m to 1600m.
“We thought when she won the Traralgon Cup 12 months ago or the Pinker Pinker Plate the preparation before, that was going to be as good as it gets for her,” Bedggood said.
“But for her to come back and go from benchmark to open handicap level and take that next step and go to a stakes win, she’s done a fantastic job.”
No Effort commenced her campaign in April and scored successive wins at Sandown and Caulfield in June before claiming her biggest win in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield in August.
She ran twice more, finishing 10th to Nonconformist in the MRC Foundation Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield then finished last to Probabeel in the Caulfield Stakes (2000m) on October 9, beaten 7-¾ lengths.
Bedggood sent No Effort to Monomeith Stud, where she spent time on the water walker and in the paddock to freshen up.
He said No Effort had retained residual fitness but questioned whether she is going as well as when she won the Heatherlie in August.
“That was a target race that day and we were able to tick that off, but she hasn’t taken a backward step or given us any reason not to run her,” Bedggood said.
“She’s nice and bright, her work’s been good, all the indicators are there that she’s going to run well.
“We’re just mindful that it’s been a long campaign and it’s hard to peak them a few times through a preparation and have her right each time.
“She doesn’t owe anyone anything and whatever she can do on Saturday is a bonus.”