Gavin Bedggood celebrates biggest win as Kingswood triumphs in Caulfield Cup

Trainer Gavin Bedggood has achieved his career-defining success with Kingswood winning the Caulfield Cup.

The Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday was claimed by the UK-bred import Kingswood, marking Bedggood's most significant achievement, eclipsing his previous best in the 2024 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Bedggood, who was a proficient jumps jockey with nearly 100 wins, embarked on his training career in 2017, initially focusing on lesser-grade horses.

He soon carved out a niche by sourcing horses online and revitalizing them, utilising the training facilities at Cranbourne.

His first significant victory came in the 2021 Heatherlie Handicap, a race Kingswood notably won on his path to Saturday's major prize.

"I'm just rapt for my team at home," Bedggood expressed.

"They all turn up every day and they work really hard.

"I'm a hard task master. I'm anal and like things done a particular way but they put up with me, and I don't get the results that I'm getting without good people behind me."

Ridden by John Allen, Kingswood ($26) secured a half-length victory over Saint George ($10), with Enfjaar ($12) a further half-length behind in third.

Bedggood extended his thanks to Darren Weir for recommending him to train Kingswood.

"He told the owners to send the horse my way, so I'm grateful for that," Bedggood stated.

"When I got it, he told me it reminded him of Puissance De Lune, not because it's a grey, but because it's tough, it's got a good constitution, and it's got a good capacity.

"He was bang on with everything he said."

Following the barrier draw on Tuesday, Bedggood confessed to being devastated when the gelding was allocated barrier 20, which moved to 17 after scratchings.

His initial inclination was to hold back and rely on luck.

"I had a chat to Johnny yesterday and said, 'you're riding it'," Bedggood remarked.

"I've ridden in races and it's easy to sit on the sidelines and say I want you to do this, I want you to do that, but it's not an easy task from where we drew.

"I pretty much left it in his hands. We were pretty much posted three-wide all the way and everyone wanted to question the horse's credentials at a mile-and-a-half.

"We couldn't condemn him on his run here (in the Zipping Classic, in 2024), it was on a heavy nine, and you had to put a line through it.

"It's great to be vindicated."

Bedggood took Kingswood to New Zealand late last year, where the horse participated in three Group 1 races, including a win at Ellerslie.

He indicated that these races were opportune given a limited spring campaign.

"New Zealand was great," Bedggood commented.

"We went over there with a target to win a Group 1 because there was limited opportunities for him at that time of year here and he had a limited spring.

"I felt a bit sorry for the horse because everyone said he went to New Zealand and knocked off a second-tier type of horse, but I didn't think that was the case.

"I thought he might have been an Australian Cup horse in the autumn, or something like that, and he'll come back and be that horse.

"We hit every target this preparation when we sat down and made a plan and to win the Grand Final is fantastic."

A fall occurred early in the straight involving Mark Zahra's mount Half Yours and Jye McNeil's ride Ohope Win, disrupting the race.

Half Yours fell, with Ohope Wins tumbling onto the horse that won last year's Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Sadly, Ohope Wins suffered a fatal injury and was euthanised, while Zahra and McNeil were conveyed to hospital for assessment after walking to the ambulance.

For those interested in the next big race, exploring the best online bookmakers could enhance your viewing experience.