Berkeley Square out for Queen Elizabeth Stakes success
Melbourne Cup plans can be years in the making and Ballarat trainer Dan O’Sullivan is already thinking about next year’s race at Flemington.
The Melbourne Cup (3200m) is still more than 360 days away, but O’Sullivan’s stayer Berkeley Square will pass an important qualifying clause if he can run top three in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
A win would be better again, but O’Sullivan is taking each step as it comes with Berkeley Square who started second favourite in the 2022 Victoria Derby (2500m) but wasn’t quite ready for the trip as a three-year-old.
Now as a mature five-year-old, and by the time next year’s Cup comes around Berkeley Square will be six, distance races seem to be the gelding’s forte.
For the first time since that Derby outing two years ago, O’Sullivan stepped Berkeley Square up to 2400m when second to Sea King in the Bendigo Cup on October 30 in which Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice finished in fifth position.
“He was good, but the winner was just too good,” O’Sullivan said of Berkeley Square.
“We stepped slow, but we also wanted to make sure that we got cover so that we finished the race off being our first time out to the trip in quite a while.
“He did that and if you take the winner out, we go on and win the Bendigo Cup.
“He’s ticking over nicely and I’m looking forward to seeing him get out to that trip again.”
O’Sullivan said he had deliberately taken his time to step Berkeley Square up in trip again as he wanted the gelding to relax.
That is what Berkeley Square is now doing in his races and a big part of that has been apprentice Jaylah Keenedy who rides him in his work and has been aboard the gelding in his last five runs, for two wins and two second placings.
“We were always building up in distance this time in and we’ve gradually stepped our races up to get him out to 2400 metres,” O’Sullivan said.
“You still have to make sure you get it right and I think we’ve ticked that box off pretty good.
“Jaylah’s done nothing wrong on him so far, so we’ve stuck with her.
“It would be nice to win a good race and hopefully it’s this one.”
More Racing News
Thrilling Scone Cup success for in-form Hellsing
Trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, Hellsing has entered excellent shape and notched his finest victory yet in the Listed $200,000 Arrowfield Scone Cup (1600m) held at Scone on Friday.On his 10th run in a preparation exceeding six months, Hellsing is thriving more than ever, building on a Royal Randwick...
Trainer Moloney sees ongoing enhancement in Hearcomesthestar
Improvement has marked every preparation, and John Moloney, the trainer, expects additional development from Hearcomesthestar in her upcoming appearance at Flemington.From 28 races, Hearcomesthestar has notched six wins and eight places, but Stakes grade has proven challenging for her.The approaching six-year-old earned a Listed placing at Geelong earlier this year,...
Searle family from SA chasing Melbourne Cup dream with Sir Kingsford
Gary and Nichole Searle, together with their daughter Brianna Callanan, form a South Australian training outfit with ambitions for Sir Kingsford in the Melbourne Cup.A victory in Saturday's Listed Andrew Ramsden (3200m) at Flemington earns the winner a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption ahead of the big November event.Nichole Searle sampled...
Scone's Luskin Star Stakes sees Estadio Mestalla with tough weight
Trainer Joe Pride questions the two-kilo advantage given to a Group 1 winner over Estadio Mestalla in the Luskin Star Stakes, but trusts the steady gelding to deliver full commitment.At seven years old, he notched his top triumph in the prior year's Listed Winter Stakes (1100m) and must shoulder 61kg...
Barrier 18 no hindrance to Sequista's Scone return
Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou believe filly Sequista has the class for black-type success despite her tendency to undermine herself.Having notched stakes placings in the 2024 Inglis Nursery (1000m) and run near the placings in Tempted's Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m), the three-year-old targets another milestone in Saturday's Listed Denise's...
Flemington awaits Concord Connie's next bold move
Trainer Charlotte Littlefield hopes her talented filly Concord Connie can replicate her recent feat before entertaining grander aspirations.In her third race appearance at Flemington on Anzac Day, Concord Connie notched a breathtaking win by six lengths in sharp time.This Saturday, the filly heads back to Flemington to compete against the...
Dark Jewel Classic in sights for Harlem Queen
While Harlem Queen didn't sustain her early promise from age three, trainer Nathan Doyle feels confident after her trouble-free lead-up that she might restore reliable results.She returns Saturday in the Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) held at Scone, where despite preferring stamina tests ahead, barrier five positions her well for Doyle's...
Flemington run to decide Different Gravy's Queensland Derby chances
At Flemington, Different Gravy will put his Queensland Derby dreams to the test in upcoming action.Following a Listed triumph over 1800m at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day last year, trainer Henry Dwyer fixed his focus on the northern Derby.The Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm scheduled for May...
Abounding's scratch lets Napoleonic into Doomben 10,000 lineup
Confirmation has arrived that Napoleonic will join the Doomben 10,000 field, following Abounding's removal which opened the door for the colt in the elite Group 1 dash.Team members experienced a stressful seven days after the three-year-old earned second emergency status for the $1.5 million event, as reserve Beadman claimed a...
Snowden's stable loaded with top sprinters for feature clashes
Boasting a stable full of high-caliber sprinters primed for black-type action, trainer Peter Snowden enjoys the luxury of picking and choosing among several prestigious races.Just a couple of weeks earlier, Zealously claimed victory in the Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m), followed by King Of Roseau and Beadman grabbing interstate stakes wins...