Dan O’Sullivan and Berkeley Square snapped up the local headlines twelve months ago and horse and trainer were once again to the fore taking out the Ballarat Cup for the second time.
Provincial feature cups have been on Ballarat-based O’Sullivan’s agenda for the six-year-old gelding and this successive victory in the $500,000 listed event over 2000-metres eclipsed the 2024 win in emphatic style by 2¾-lengths over the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Cadmus ($71) with Statuario ($14) a further 1¾-lengths away in third.
“We weren’t under pressure but it’s good to see him do it,” O’Sullivan said.
“With the blinkers on and how he was travelling at the half-mile, I thought this is going to be beautiful and to see him win so comfortably, it’s really, really good.
“I’ve been reluctant to put the blinkers on for a while as I thought he might over-race, but Luke (Nolen) got it perfect today.
“He’s just a bloody good horse and he has won over $2 million in prizemoney now too.”
Luke Nolen missed the ride on Berkeley Square last year after a fall put him on the sidelines.
The cards fell to O’Sullivan’s stable apprentice Jaylah Kennedy who then steered Berkeley Square to victory.
Those roles were reversed this time with Kennedy out injured and Nolen taking her place.
“It is a swings and roundabouts sort of thing,” Nolen said.
“Jaylah did a marvellous job and I was happy to take the reins again. It is one of those things. You take the rough and the smooth. These things turn around quickly.
“He’s two-for-two at the 2000-metres here so might as well go for a three-peat and it’ll be between Jaylah and me as to who rides it.”
Nolen paid tribute to O’Sullivan’s care and persistence to see the stayer break a year-long winning drought.
“He’s done a great job with him,” Nolen said.
“He’s toiled as he hasn’t won since this day last year, but he’s continued to run well and tested his patience.
“A lot of the credit goes to Dan and his team, they deserve this success.”
