Gavin Bedggood has made his name as a trainer rejuvenating horses who started their career elsewhere, but Wednesday’s Sandown meeting proved him just as adept with ones he finds himself.
The Cranbourne horseman produced two-year-old filly Burning Heartz to score a thrilling debut win in the $50,000 Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap (1300m).
Bedggood bought Burning Heartz for $26,000 at last year’s Magic Millions yearling sale in Adelaide and was happy to get the job done for connections, many of whom were encouraged to take a share in her in the weeks leading up to her debut.
“I probably still owned half of her up until about a fortnight ago, so I’ve sold the rest of her over the last couple of weeks since she’s trialled up,” he said.
“I gave a couple of people a ring and told them she went alright, so it’s good to be vindicated today.
“It’s great to get a two-year-old winner. We’ve been a stable that’s been marked as a tried-horse trainer but we had a two-year-old (Egyptian Dancer) run second on Saturday at Caulfield and it’s good to get a winner today.”
Burning Heartz is just the third two-year-old winner for Bedggood, a former top jumps jockey who is closing in on 250 wins as a trainer.
The daughter of Cool Aza Beel scored in a blanket finish that saw just over a head separate the first four over the line.
The $4.40 chance scored by a nose from Delahra ($6), who edged out Tagabella ($9) for second placing with Anglais ($4.40) close-up fourth.
Burning Heartz was ridden by Joe Bowditch, who praised her trainer’s effort to get her to win over 1300m at her first start, and Bedggood is excited about what the future might hold.
“I would say that further (in trip) is going to be no issue in time,” he said.
“She’s got a great constitution, I’ve never seen her leave feed, and she just wants to work with you.
“She dropped her head nicely in the run there and the world’s her oyster.”
