Cranbourne trainer Shea Eden will set his sights on the Group Three Cockram Stakes after his four-year-old mare Bless Her made it five wins from as many starts this campaign with a comfortable win at Caulfield.
Eden has already won a Cockram Stakes, having scored with Ocean Embers in 2016 and he will give Bless Her a chance to emulate that feat back at Caulfield on August 29.
Eden said that Bless Her was meeting every challenge he had set.
“I keep thinking ‘let’s have a crack’ and look at what she’s done,” Eden said.
“I knew she would run well but we didn’t give her a jump out in the lead-up but she’s 90 per cent fit. I thought this would tighten her up.”
Bless Her kicked off her campaign with wins at Sale in a maiden and a class one, before a Sandown Hillside win and now two Caulfield victories.
Bless Her ($5.50) defeated the frontrunner She’s A Thief ($4.60 fav) by two lengths with Acting ($12) three quarters of a length away third.
Eden has made a great start to the 2020-21 season with six winners from 13 runners.
Former jumps jockey Gavin Bedggood landed his first Caulfield winner when No Effort defied the efforts of short-priced favourite Sovereign Award to win the Neds Handicap (1700m).
Bedggood thanked the mare’s previous trainer Allan Cooper who is battling ill health.
“I hope he was able to watch it today. He’ll get a bit of a buzz out of that,” Bedgood said.
“I’m really grateful to him, Ross Hennessy and Geoff Kemp and all the owners for sending me this horse.”
Bedggood said he expected No Effort to go close after her work on Tuesday and thought she was a great chance to run in the top two.
He will set her for the Pinker Pinker Plate at Cranbourne, a race she won last year.
No Effort was ridden by Dwayne Dunn who led throughout on her to win.