Racing traditionalists had reason to smile at Sandown on Sunday as Diwali delivered a nostalgic victory in the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m).
With the Australian Hurdle and Steeplechase featured on the same card, it was a fitting day for omens, and Diwali’s win revived memories of another horse of the same name who claimed the 1982 Australian Steeplechase.
This year’s Sandown Cup, now a winter feature after its shift from the spring, saw the Gavin Bedggood-trained Diwali produce a strong staying performance.
Ridden confidently by Joe Bowditch, Diwali ($10) swept home to score by 2-¾ lengths over $2.80 betting sites favourite Through Irish Eyes, with Alma Rise ($3.50) finishing in third.
“He had been running well over a mile-and-a-half and this race was there,” Bedggood said.
“We thought it would be full of horses from the Andrew Ramsden and a few jumpers, but we were untried at the distance.
“We thought with the right run, it was worth a try.”
Diwali had built momentum leading into Sunday’s win, with a Moe benchmark 58 victory on April 25 followed by two solid city runs — fourth at Caulfield and second at Sandown on May 21.
With the Deane Lester Flemington Cup (2800m) on July 19 now the likely target, Bedggood has mapped out a freshening plan.
“We’ll probably send him to the beach tomorrow and give him a week to freshen up a little bit and then look for a 2500-metre run in between,” he said.
“We might go three weeks, three weeks into that race and use it as our final.”
Bowditch, who previously partnered Diwali to victory at Moe, was full of praise for Bedggood’s training performance.
“Can’t this bloke train a racehorse,” Bowditch exclaimed.
“I wouldn’t put anything past Gavin. I won a benchmark 58 on him three starts back and I wouldn’t say he was impressive enough to be here.
“But Gav’s a pretty good trainer, especially how he’s got him to settle and run the trip.”