Trainer Gavin Bedggood will break new ground at Caulfield with his first runner in a ‘major’.
Whilst he has had Group 1 runners – and winners – previously, Kingswood running in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday will be his first.
The majors are considered the Caulfield Cup, the Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate and Golden Slipper, while more recently The Everest can be added to that list.
It is apt that the Caulfield Cup should be Bedggood’s first ‘major’ as he rode work at the track in his younger years.
“I rode work there as a kid when I was 16 years old,” Bedggood said.
“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 enters Saturday’s race in good form.
He was successful first-up in the Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) before running fourth on two occasions at weight-for-age – the Underwood Stakes and in last Saturday’s Might And Power.
Bedggood said the campaign had gone with a hitch.
“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 will jump from the second widest gate on Saturday if the emergencies do not gain a start.
Bedggood said it was not ideal, but it will allow the entire to be ridden quietly after being up on the speed in his past two outings.
“He’s gone forward by default at his last two starts,” Bedggood said.
“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.”
