Berkeley Square puts hand up as a spring contender

Ballarat trainer Dan O’Sullivan is looking forward to the upcoming Melbourne Spring Carnival with imposing three-year-old Berkeley Square.

After his first metropolitan success in taking out the VRC Member Damian Cubela Plate (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday, O’Sullivan is dreaming of Group 1 contests during the spring.

The Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and the Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington are in the back of O’Sullivan’s mind for the son of Territories who landed his second win from three career starts.

Sent out the $1.90 favourite under Craig Williams, Berkeley Square scored by 1-¾ lengths from Castillian ($10) with Proscenium Arch ($7.50) a nose away third.

O’Sullivan said Berkeley Square was a lovely natured horse that was still not quite fully mature mentally.

He said around the stable the gelding is ‘cuddled’ without being spoilt but at the same time looked after so he does not hurt himself.

O’Sullivan said he would talk to Williams about what a potential spring campaign may look like but has the Listed Exford Plate (1400m) at Flemington on September 10 down as potentially the gelding’s next outing.

“What he’s doing now, he’s so raw,” O’Sullivan said.

“He’s still growing into himself and needs the penny to drop, but he’s got great lung capacity and he looks and goes like a Derby horse, but I don’t like saying that out loud.

“We’d like to try and get him to the Caulfield Guineas also, but whether that might be too sharp for him and it’s a fair way away too.

“(Part-owner) David Peacock also has the mare, so if he could win a Caulfield Guineas on the way through, that would be great.

“These may not be the best three-year-olds, but they’re a handy lot and they had their chance to run him down today and I just liked his last 200 metres.”