Berkeley Square will attempt to become just the second locally-trained horse in the past decade to win consecutive editions of the Ballarat Cup.
Kiwia achieved the feat in 2018 and 2019, first over 2200m for Darren Weir before the race distance was reduced to 2000m the following year when he won under Archie Alexander.
Berkeley Square delivered trainer Dan O’Sullivan his first hometown Cup victory last year, and he is hopeful the gelding can repeat the performance on Saturday.
“I would never say that it was a goal winning the race, although you always like to win any good race,” O’Sullivan said.
“We had Tuscan Fire nearly start favourite in it one year and then we just got beaten with Affair To Remember during the COVID year, so it really was a big buzz last year, and the horse deserved it.
“Then you throw Jaylah (Kennedy) in the mix. She got back on him, it was her 100th career win and her first Listed win on her favourite horse in her own backyard.”
Under different scheduling, Berkeley Square would likely have contested the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) had it remained at Sandown rather than shifting to Caulfield.
He finished third in the Zipping last year before backing up a week later to win the Ballarat Cup.
O’Sullivan said weather conditions again influenced his decision-making this year, avoiding the Caulfield meeting not wanting another wet-track run after Berkeley Square felt the effects of a heavy surface when fifth in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) on November 8.
“As much as he has been effective on a wet track, his last run it was pretty wet, so I thought I would rather keep him for Ballarat,” O’Sullivan said.
“Four weeks between runs, back to the 2000 (metres), he’s freshened up nicely.
“He’s nice and bright and we’re trying to go back-to-back.”
Berkeley Square was one of 29 nominations for the Ballarat Cup, with potential rivals including South Australian visitor Air Assault, last Saturday’s Eclipse Stakes winner Casino Seventeen, his stablemate Kingswood and Ciaron Maher’s Saint George.
O’Sullivan said he would have welcomed another partnership with Jaylah Kennedy, but her recovery from knee surgery remains ongoing.
“I spoke to her the other day, and it won’t be until January I would say,” O’Sullivan said.
“It’s one of those injuries you can’t come back too soon from. If you fall off, or twist the knee, you go back to where you were, so you have to be right.”
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