Kingswood Wins Caulfield Cup

Kingswood (GB) provided the highlight of the burgeoning training career of former jockey Gavin Bedggood in lifting a dramatic, tragedy-laced Caulfield Cup (G1) Oct. 17 at Caulfield Racecourse. In an all-gray imports quinella for the late stallion Roaring Lion, the 6-year-old held on to score by half a length at AU$26 from Ciaron Maher's Saint George (GB), in a finish that hinted at what might have been had their sire not died in 2019, aged only 4. But the 150th running of the Cup also brought tragedy after two horses fell in the home straight. Amid severe interference, last year's Cups double winner Half Yours (AUS) came down at the 300-meter mark, with Chris Waller's trans-Tasman dual Oaks winner Ohope Wins tumbling over him. While Half Yours rose and cantered on, Ohope Wins had to be euthanized. Their jockeys Mark Zahra and Jye McNeil were taken to hospital for observation, but escaped injury. The incident cast an unfortunate pall over a triumphant day for the 40-year-old Bedggood, who gave riding away in 2016 after piloting 97 winners. Cranbourne-based Bedggood claimed his first elite victory in September 2024 when Mornington Glory (AUS) took the Moir Stakes (G1). He won his second in taking Kingswood to New Zealand last December for the Zabeel Classic (G1). And Saturday he reached a pinnacle with his victory in one of Australia's "Big Four." Kingswood and another Irish import—jockey John Allen—had to do it the hard way after jumping from gate 17 of 18. Allen went forward, sitting three wide with cover while Saint George raced on the fence inside him, with favorite Cosmic Crusader (NZ) in between, as Royal Supremacy (IRE) set a solid clip under another Irish rider, the fly-in Jamie Spencer. Runs came from the back at the 800 meters but Allen was content to let them pass him, as Kingswood shuffled back to eighth, still with Saint George to his inside, and the jockey's calmness then was the making of the win. Allen brought Kingswood eight deep as the widest runner entering the straight and as those in front of him—including European raiders Wine Dark Sea (GB) and Starford (IRE)—began to peak on their runs, Kingswood was still revving up. He took the lead at the 180 meters, and while Saint George was still shadowing him to his left and full of running, Bedggood's gray Roaring Lion prevailed over Maher's by the half-length. Roger Varian's English raider Enfjaar (IRE) held on well for third to complete a European trifecta, after racing on the pace in a fine Melbourne Cup (G1) trial that had him tightened up for the first Tuesday in November. Cosmic Crusader ran a strong fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths. Allen, celebrating his 22nd group 1, praised the trainer. "Great performance, unbelievable effort by Gavin," he said. "He had the horse spot on for today. He's been going super this prep, he was super first up and then competing against the best the last couple of starts, and dropped in weight today 
... I knew he'd show a good turn of foot if he traveled well into the home straight and he cantered up to them and put them away." He added: "For Gavin, he's a trainer going places. We'll be hearing a lot more of him after I'm retired." Saintly dancer earns Guineas Victory Saintly Dancer (NZ) provided a first Australian elite winner for her sire, St Mark's Basilica (FR), in capping a grand day for trainer Ciaron Maher with a dominant all-the-way victory in Saturday's Thousand Guineas (G1) at Caulfield. Half an hour before winning his second The Everest (G1) in three years when Tempted (AUS) took the AU$20 million sprint, Maher sealed the quinella in the Thousand Guineas when second favorite Saintly Dancer beat Icelady (AUS) by 1 1/4 lengths. READ: Tempted Ends Ka Ying Rising's Streak in Everest Team Hayes's favorite Regal Ambition (AUS) took third another length away, ahead of Chris Waller's New Zealand import De Armas (NZ). Well ridden from gate 4 by Blake Shinn, Saintly Dancer came in for support following her previous-start 6-length romp in Flemington's Edward Manifold Stakes (G2), on a Heavy 10. The First Light Racing filly was taken to the lead by Shinn on settling, but came under pressure from stablemate Icelady as she set two :11 furlongs. She gained a slight :12.10 steadier to the 800 meter, but quickened her pace from there on. To her great credit, Saintly Dancer ran her rivals off their feet from then on to seal her hugely value-boosting win, which left Maher's stable foreman Jack Turnbull highly impressed. "She's a serious filly and there is the question mark whether or not she goes further, which looking at her physically, we've said it all along, you're probably a fraction apprehensive, but she just keeps proving us wrong," Turnbull said. "She's now a group 1 winner, and it's what it's all about." St Mark's Basilica, standing for AU$38,500 in his fifth shuttle season for Coolmore, has eight stakes winners worldwide from 192 runners at 4.2%, and two from 31 in Australia. Autumn Glow Scores easy King Charles win Chris Waller's champion mare Autumn Glow (AUS) notched up her fifth group 1 success Saturday when easing to victory in the King Charles III Stakes (G1) at Randwick Racecourse. Sent off as the long odds-on favorite in the five-runner field, the 5-year-old daughter of The Autumn Sun (AUS) cruised up to pacesetters Militarize (NZ) and Just Folk (AUS) after rounding the home bend and a win looked a formality. Asked to pick it up by rider James McDonald, the mare easily hit the front and sauntered clear before being eased down closer to home to beat 2024 and 2025 winner Ceolwulf (NZ), who ran on nicely to be a well-held second, by 2 1/4 lengths. There was a further 7 1/4 lengths back to Just Folk in third, with last-start Epsom Handicap (G1) winner God's Window (GB) in fourth and Militarize weakening to be last of the quintet. "Her work has been fantastic; she is an absolute professional," said Waller. "We asked her to do a bit more work during the week expecting a wet track and more speed in the race. But she took it all in stride and came out and did that today. … But it doesn't matter how you train her, we just keep it simple and she trains herself. It has been an honor to be working with some great horses."