Gavin Bedggood will head into his hometown Cup with a powerful hand as he looks to secure the race for the first time.
Among the 18 acceptors for Saturday’s Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m), four runners come from the Bedggood yard — though he concedes not all will necessarily take their place.
That provides a glimmer of hope for emergencies Pondalowie and Scheelite, who have fared well with inside gates one and two.
Two of Bedggood’s principal hopes, Casino Seventeen and St Lawrence, have drawn out in barriers 16 and 18, prompting the trainer to consider the $200,000 Kilmore Cup (1600m) on Sunday as a more suitable target.
“He wants to get a soft run, do no work and be getting clean air late,” Bedggood said of Casino Seventeen.
“Drawing 18 he probably has to go a long way back and it probably sets him a bit of a task.
“He’s got a nomination for Kilmore, so that might be an option.
“It’s not ideal for St Lawrence either. The Kilmore Cup is an option on Sunday, so we’ll have to have a look and see how it pans out.”
Jennilala was the best drawn of the stable’s quartet in barrier five for jockey Declan Bates, while Charterhouse — winner of the Cup two years ago for Ciaron Maher — will jump from gate 13.
Bedggood said Jennilala’s Flemington run on heavy going was simply inconclusive.
“She was very plain last start, but it was very heavy ground, and you wouldn’t have even known she had gone around,” he said.
“She just had a day out on the heavy conditions. Her form previously had been pretty solid, so she should land in a prominent spot from that draw.
“She’s a lovely sound horse that has been effective on dry ground, so hopefully we’ll get that.”
Charterhouse has had only two starts since joining the stable in September, winning first-up at Sandown before running last in the Seymour Cup.
Bedggood said the draw mattered less for Charterhouse given his adaptable racing pattern.
“His win for me at Sandown he was close to the speed but when he won the Cup here two years ago, he came from well back,” Bedggood said.
“I would say he lines up. There looks to be decent speed and he’s drawn wide, so it should generate good speed for him early with horses pushing forward, so it might not be that bad.”
Bedggood also entered Presser for the Cranbourne Cup but chose to redirect him to the Kilmore Cup instead.
“As well as he is going, he’s still an 82-rater and small fish are sweet sometimes,” Bedggood said.
“We would like to keep earning prize money with him, so I’m happy to aim a bit lower with him at this stage.”
