Darren Beadman is poised to become just the second person to ride and a winner of the Doomben Cup
Less than two weeks into his new job, Darren Beadman is poised to become just the second person to ride and subsequently train a winner of the Doomben Cup.
It is a feat achieved by the late Maurice McCarten when he trained Tossing to win the 1952 Cup.
A Sydney premiership-winning jockey and trainer, McCarten won the first Doomben Cup on Pentheus in 1933 and followed with wins on Whittingham (1934) an Beaulivre (1940).
McCarten then trained Tossing to win the Doomben Cup in 1952.
Beadman, who took over from John O’Shea as interim head trainer for Godolphin Australia on May 9, will saddle his first Group One runner, It’s Somewhat, in the Doomben Cup (2000m) on Saturday.
Among his many Group One wins as a jockey, Beadman won the 1996 Doomben Cup on the Gai Waterhouse-trained Juggler.
He can also join Bart Sinclair sr, Ron Conquest and Bill Briscoe as the only people to ride and train Group One winners in Brisbane since World War II.
Beadman isn’t worried about setting records as he concentrates on keeping the Godolphin machine rolling.
Godolphin has already won 31 Australian stakes races this season including four at Group One level.
Beadman said Its Somewhat would be improved by his win in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast two weeks ago.
“Everything says that he’s held his form and he’s come up with a perfect barrier (6),” Beadman said
“He’s worked well and retained his fitness since winning at the Gold Coast. He galloped very nicely at the Gold Coast this week.”
Beadman said the great thing was that It’s Somewhat gave 100 per cent every time he ran and still seemed to have some freshness in his legs.
“He’s only had a fairly light preparation and with James Doyle to ride him I can’t see any reason why he won’t run very well,” Beadman said.
Beadman believes as a Group one Doncaster Mile winner It’s Somewhat is well in at the weight-for-age scale.
Its Somewhat, who ran third in last year’s Doomben Cup, was sent to Australia in 2015 after winning two races in England.
He was expected to be a second tier stakes horse but has exceeded those expectations having won $3.1 million prize money.
Apart from the Group One Doncaster Mile, It’s Somewhat’s other wins include the Group Two Ajax Stakes (twice), the Group Three Neville Sellwood Stakes, and the Group Three Craven Plate.
