Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (Group 1)

FORMER jumps jockey Gavin Bedggood won his first trainer’s Group 1 on Saturday, following the win of Mornington Glory in the Moir Stakes over 1,000 metres at Moonee Valley.

The six-year-old Shalaa gelding bounced to the front and held his position to lead around the final turn and prevail by a half-length. Second was last season’s Blue Diamond Stakes winner Hayasugi, a filly by Royal Meeting, with the Golden Slipper winner, the Written Tycoon filly Lady Of Camelot third.

“He took bad luck out of the equation today. He’s begun really well his last two starts and when he jumped a half in front of them today, there was no instruction to lead. But (jockey) Browny (Ethan Brown) just used his initiative and went with the horse and the rest is history.”

The win was Mornington Glory’s seventh in 20 starts and his third in succession which included a last start win in the Listed Norman Carlyon Stakes.

It’s also a tale of redemption as Mornington Glory had been retired having developed cardiac arrhythmia before finding his way into the Bedggood stable 12 months ago.

“It nearly didn’t happen, he was retired, this horse, and as I said last time, these owners threw me a bone,” said Bedggood.

“I had a great career riding over the jumps and loved it and I still love following the jumping races, but we just do what we can with whatever horses get thrown our way. It’s a great ownership group and they’ll party hard tonight, no doubt.”

Grey Wizard from US to Melbourne

THE former Joseph O’Brien-trained The Grey Wizard is a late entry for the Melbourne Cup.

The Graham Motion-trained Caravaggio five-year-old won a ballot free entry for his Group 2 Belmont Gold Cup win at Saratoga in March. “I have spent some time in Sydney when I was quite young,” said Motion. “But I have never been to the Melbourne Cup. I am a big fan of Australian racing, and I am a big fan of international racing.”

First acceptances have closed for the Caulfield Cup with 87 horses remaining in the mix, but only two internationals. Japanese stayer Warp Speed, trained by Noboru Takagi, and Brian Ellison’s Onesmoothoperator remain in contention.

A similar situation applies to the A$5 million Cox Plate where first acceptances also closed on Tuesday. Only two internationals remain in the 75 acceptors, the Japanese horse Prognosis, trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida who will be ridden by Damian Lane, and Harry Eustace’s Massaat gelding Docklands.

CO-TRAINERS Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea have won the South Australian Metropolitan Trainers’ of the Year Award with their 45 metropolitan winners placing them two clear of the next best, Richard and Chantelle Jolly.

The 44-year-old Niki O’Shea, moved to Australia in 2013 after riding over the jumps in Ireland having spent time in the yards of Jessica Harrington, Conor O’Dwyer and Dessie Hughes. Having served a suspension from 2018 when training with his partner Ashton Downing, Clarken was delighted to team up with O’Shea in late 2022. “He’s an awesome horseman,” said Clarken. “We’ve been friends for a long time and he trains horses hard, at a high-level intensity, which will suit me. We’ve got pretty similar philosophies there.”

THE British-bred Fastnet Rock gelding Buckaroo won his first race since his Heritage Stakes win at Leopardstown in 2023 when he saluted at Randwick on Saturday in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes over 1,600 metres.

Transferred from the Joseph O’Brien stable to Chris Waller, it was Buckaroo’s sixth Australian start having already placed third in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes.

“He’s really made a statement today,” said jockey Tommy Berry. “Chris (Waller) just said, ‘look if you can get him to jump today, put him into the race and let him know it’s game on,’ and he was brilliant today, so he really deserved that win.”

TOMMY Sherry landed a timely win at Randwick last Saturday, guiding the Irish-bred Redstone Well to a dominant four-length win in the Listed Lexus CTC Cup over 2,400 metres.

Formerly trained by Danny O’Sullivan and now under the Highclere banner and in the care of Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald, this was the Cotai Glory gelding’s 10th Australian start in 2024 and second win.

“He was very keen, but I think he is just getting acclimatised,” said Neasham. “Tom got down to 53 kgs to ride him and he gave him a peach, rating him well. I was unsure he would run out the 2,400 metres, but Robyn Hartney, who does a lot of our form, gave a big push to run here today rather than the Wyong Cup yesterday, which I was leaning toward.”

New Zealand

MID-FIELD at the final bend, Grail Seeker, a Group 2 Wellington Guineas winner in March, has franked that performance with a Group 1 win, first-up, in the Westbury Stud Tarzino Trophy over 1,400 metres at Hastings last Saturday.

With a powerful finish, the Iffraaj filly went to another level in the final 150 metres to dispatch her rivals to the tune of one and a half lengths. Second was the El Roca mare Faraglioni with the Satono Aladdin horse Sacred Satono in third.

Trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, it was a maiden Group 1 success for Grail Seeker and jockey Matt Cartwright in a field of 11 that comprised five individual Group 1 winners.

“It’s just amazing,” said Andrew Scott. “It’s great to have owners who believe in the dream and are happy to bypass a Foxbridge (a traditional lead-up race) and believe in what we hope could happen. They believed in Wexford (Stables), believed in us and believed in our team.

“We sat back for this and hoped that she’d just come with one big run. What a ride from Matt. He’s just on the crest of a wave today.”

Grail Seeker was the third leg of a treble for former Victorian jockey Matt Cartwright who has relocated to New Zealand. “To get a treble on such a big day, including my first Group 1, is pretty special,” reflected Cartwright.