Almost two weeks have passed since Hedged endured a brutal run in the Group 2 Rising Fast Stakes at Flemington, but trainer Gavin Bedggood says the disappointment is still fresh.
The Cranbourne-based trainer believes the $240,000 contest was the perfect opportunity for the Roll The Dice Racing sprinter to claim a deserved black-type victory — one that slipped away when luck deserted him.
Hedged finished sixth, beaten only two lengths by Caballus, despite being badly held up until the 150m mark in the 1200m feature.
Now, with a class drop and a shorter trip, he lines up in Saturday’s $175,000 Village Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield, where Bedggood is desperate to see the gelding enjoy clear running.
Drawn in barrier two, Hedged will have Beau Mertens aboard, with Jamie Melham unavailable.
“I just hope he doesn’t end up in an awkward spot with nowhere to go like he did last time out,” Bedggood said.
“He lost all his momentum and by the time he got out the bird had flown, but he was really good through the line.
“If he wasn’t going to win there, he definitely runs second with even luck, so he should be hard to beat this weekend.”
The Rising Fast Stakes was just his second appearance for Bedggood after transferring from the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr stable, where he won four of 17 starts.
His first run for his new trainer was a narrow defeat by Jigsaw, who subsequently took out a Group 2 race at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.
“He’s come on from those runs and back around a corner he should get a good run from the gate,” Bedggood said.
The trainer hopes a strong showing can open doors for the weeks ahead.
“You’ve got seven days into The Meteorite or you’ve got a fortnight into another Stakes race here and he’s also a Magic Millions horse, so that might be an option later on,” Bedggood said.
The $1 million The Meteorite (1200m) headlines next Saturday’s Cranbourne Cup meeting, while Caulfield hosts the $175,000 Listed Doveton Stakes (1100m) the week after.
For betting on the Village Stakes, compare bookies via the JHR bookmakers page.