Latest news with #BrierlySteeplechase
Daily Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Duke Of Bedford blows rivals away to claim Grand Annual Steeplechase by 12 lengths.
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Fatigue was the only hope for Duke Of Bedford's rivals a long way from the finish of Thursday's gruelling $350,000 Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool. The 5500m epic is one of Australia's toughest races but Duke Of Bedford made the race look like an afternoon pleasure for jockey Arron Lynch with his almost flawless jumping. While Lynch opened up a massive mid-race gap on rivals, trainer Andrew Bobbin was wondering whether the jockey had allowed Duke Of Bedford to go too quickly. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'I was just watching him go around and I thought, 'Jesus, Lynchy, what are you doing?',' Bobbin said. However, Duke Of Bedford ($3.70 fav) showed no signs of fatigue in the straight, ploughing through the worn track to score by 12 lengths over honest locals Instigator ($5.50) and Bazini ($15). 'He just kept finding and finding,' Bobbin said. 'I thought, 'we're going to stop here soon' but when he came down the hill the second time, I knew he just had to get over them and that's all he needed to do. 'Every jockey tells me that he might look like he's doing too much but he's just cruising.' Duke Of Bedford produced his amazing performance 48 hours after a fighting win in Tuesday's Brierly Steeplechase, netting connections a $50,000 bonus from TAB. Lynch spent plenty of time alone during the Grand Annual Steeplechase as Duke Of Bedford rolled along as he pleased with a lead of up to 20 lengths at various stages of the race. He said he could clearly hear the race call letting him know how far ahead he was but Lynch had no doubt Duke Of Bedford would maintain his gallop to the end of the marathon event. 'When you're that far in front you can hear the call, it's peaceful and you can hear everything,' Lynch said. Duke Of Bedford gave trainer Andrew Bobbin another big jumps win in the Grand Annual. Picture:'You're just concentrating on your jumps and getting the horse over safely. 'He's just got that rolling tempo and holds that gallop, which just breaks them down. 'He jumped brilliant and never really made a mistake at all. 'I just had a lap full of horse when we came down on to the flat track again there. He just held that good gallop all the way. 'I just knew no other horse was going to beat me.' William McCarthy rode Duke Of Bedford to his Brierly Steeplechase win but his previous commitment to the Symon Wilde-trained Bazini left Lynch free to ride Duke Of Bedford. McCarthy graciously said he was thrilled for Bobbin and Duke Of Bedford's connections. Originally published as Duke Of Bedford blows rivals away to claim Grand Annual Steeplechase
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Duke Of Bedford blows rivals away to claim Grand Annual Steeplechase
Fatigue was the only hope for Duke Of Bedford's rivals a long way from the finish of Thursday's gruelling $350,000 Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool. The 5500m epic is one of Australia's toughest races but Duke Of Bedford made the race look like an afternoon pleasure for jockey Arron Lynch with his almost flawless jumping. While Lynch opened up a massive mid-race gap on rivals, trainer Andrew Bobbin was wondering whether the jockey had allowed Duke Of Bedford to go too quickly. 'I was just watching him go around and I thought, 'Jesus, Lynchy, what are you doing?',' Bobbin said. However, Duke Of Bedford ($3.70 fav) showed no signs of fatigue in the straight, ploughing through the worn track to score by 12 lengths over honest locals Instigator ($5.50) and Bazini ($15). 'He just kept finding and finding,' Bobbin said. 'I thought, 'we're going to stop here soon' but when he came down the hill the second time, I knew he just had to get over them and that's all he needed to do. 'Every jockey tells me that he might look like he's doing too much but he's just cruising.' Duke of Bedford annihilates his opposition with an emphatic victory in the Grand Annual Steeplechase 🙌 @grampiansracing â€' (@Racing) May 1, 2025 Duke Of Bedford produced his amazing performance 48 hours after a fighting win in Tuesday's Brierly Steeplechase, netting connections a $50,000 bonus from TAB. Lynch spent plenty of time alone during the Grand Annual Steeplechase as Duke Of Bedford rolled along as he pleased with a lead of up to 20 lengths at various stages of the race. He said he could clearly hear the race call letting him know how far ahead he was but Lynch had no doubt Duke Of Bedford would maintain his gallop to the end of the marathon event. 'When you're that far in front you can hear the call, it's peaceful and you can hear everything,' Lynch said. 'You're just concentrating on your jumps and getting the horse over safely. 'He's just got that rolling tempo and holds that gallop, which just breaks them down. 'He jumped brilliant and never really made a mistake at all. 'I just had a lap full of horse when we came down on to the flat track again there. He just held that good gallop all the way. 'I just knew no other horse was going to beat me.' William McCarthy rode Duke Of Bedford to his Brierly Steeplechase win but his previous commitment to the Symon Wilde-trained Bazini left Lynch free to ride Duke Of Bedford. McCarthy graciously said he was thrilled for Bobbin and Duke Of Bedford's connections.
Herald Sun
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Duke Of Bedford blows rivals away to claim Grand Annual Steeplechase by 12 lengths.
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Fatigue was the only hope for Duke Of Bedford's rivals a long way from the finish of Thursday's gruelling $350,000 Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool. The 5500m epic is one of Australia's toughest races but Duke Of Bedford made the race look like an afternoon pleasure for jockey Arron Lynch with his almost flawless jumping. While Lynch opened up a massive mid-race gap on rivals, trainer Andrew Bobbin was wondering whether the jockey had allowed Duke Of Bedford to go too quickly. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'I was just watching him go around and I thought, 'Jesus, Lynchy, what are you doing?',' Bobbin said. However, Duke Of Bedford ($3.70 fav) showed no signs of fatigue in the straight, ploughing through the worn track to score by 12 lengths over honest locals Instigator ($5.50) and Bazini ($15). 'He just kept finding and finding,' Bobbin said. 'I thought, 'we're going to stop here soon' but when he came down the hill the second time, I knew he just had to get over them and that's all he needed to do. 'Every jockey tells me that he might look like he's doing too much but he's just cruising.' Duke Of Bedford produced his amazing performance 48 hours after a fighting win in Tuesday's Brierly Steeplechase, netting connections a $50,000 bonus from TAB. Lynch spent plenty of time alone during the Grand Annual Steeplechase as Duke Of Bedford rolled along as he pleased with a lead of up to 20 lengths at various stages of the race. He said he could clearly hear the race call letting him know how far ahead he was but Lynch had no doubt Duke Of Bedford would maintain his gallop to the end of the marathon event. 'When you're that far in front you can hear the call, it's peaceful and you can hear everything,' Lynch said. Duke Of Bedford gave trainer Andrew Bobbin another big jumps win in the Grand Annual. Picture:'You're just concentrating on your jumps and getting the horse over safely. 'He's just got that rolling tempo and holds that gallop, which just breaks them down. 'He jumped brilliant and never really made a mistake at all. 'I just had a lap full of horse when we came down on to the flat track again there. He just held that good gallop all the way. 'I just knew no other horse was going to beat me.' William McCarthy rode Duke Of Bedford to his Brierly Steeplechase win but his previous commitment to the Symon Wilde-trained Bazini left Lynch free to ride Duke Of Bedford. McCarthy graciously said he was thrilled for Bobbin and Duke Of Bedford's connections. Originally published as Duke Of Bedford blows rivals away to claim Grand Annual Steeplechase
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Steven Pateman ruled out of riding in Grand Annual but can still win as a trainer
Champion jumps jockey Steven Pateman won't be out on the track but he is still set for a bittersweet watch in the $350,000 Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at Warrnambool. Pateman was ruled out of riding on Thursday after he was taken to hospital following a fall from Nelson in a steeplechase on Wednesday. However, he will saddle the 11-year-old gelding Historic, who holds a special place in Australasian breeding as the last horse by the legendary sire Zabeel to pass through a sales ring. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The late New Zealand breeding great Sir Patrick Hogan himself led Historic through the sales ring after his operation Cambridge Stud prepared the then colt for sale. Historic fetched $NZ160,000 as a yearling but Pateman paid a fraction of that amount before he had raced. 'Historic has been a really special horse for us,' Pateman said. 'We bought him for $1500 on the recommendation of Tom Dabernig. 'He'd definitely be the last Zabeel to be racing.' Pateman has won three Grand Annuals as a jockey but Historic will be his first runner in the marathon event as a trainer. Historic has returned his purchase price more than 15 times over in his 41-start career but Pateman said the Grand Annual would be the veteran's last race. 'He's been a great little horse for us,' Pateman said. 'He's won six steeplechases and he's one for one around Warrnambool and we've always said we'd love to run him in a Grand Annual. 'It will be a historic win if he gets home. 'We gave him his first start as a three-year-old and he'll retire after Thursday, win, lose or draw.' The Grand Annual Steeplechase field has been reduced to 10 possible runners after the withdrawal of Leaderboard, who fell in Tuesday's Brierly Steeplechase, and Jekyll'n'hyde, who won on Wednesday. Trainer Eric Musgrove has also withdrawn Fort Charles, who also raced on Wednesday. Stawell trainer Andrew Bobbin will wait as long as possible to decide whether the Brierly Steeplechase winner Duke Of Bedford will tackle the Grand Annual. Duke Of Bedford is the $4 favourite in Grand Annual betting, which could change significantly on Tuesday morning, depending on scratchings. Kiwi jumper Berry The Cash and Heir To The Throne, a brother to Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance, share the second line of betting at $6. â– â– â– â– â– TV host makes time for Warrnambool in election week The Federal election has taken second place to the Warrnambool carnival for Sky News host Caleb Bond. Bond hosts two shows on the channel as well as compiling political columns for various News Corp publications, making election week an important time for the commentator. But jumps racing and Warrnambool are foremost in Bond's heart this week. Bond is a regular visitor to the Warrnambool May carnival and has a great chance for a win as an owner of Road Runner in the John Rule Champion Novice Hurdle (3200m). A friendship with prominent jumps owner Pearse Morgan has led to Bond racing several jumpers, including the Australian Hurdle winner Circle The Sun. 'Pearse Morgan is a great mate of mine,' Bond said. 'I was talking to Pearse about it and he was talking about the horse and I said, 'where the hell was the call for me' and he was nice enough to slice off a hair on his tail for me.' Bond's love of jumps racing started in his home state of South Australia before jumps racing ended. He said it was vital jumps racing remained in Victoria, especially at Warrnambool. 'We love going to Group 1s but you come here to Warrnambool and you meet real racing people,' Bond said. 'You can walk around and talk to anyone, it's just fabulous. 'That's why jumps racing is so important to Warrnambool.'
Herald Sun
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Jumps trainer Andrew Bobbin making big leaps with Brierly Steeplechase success
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. 'When I started as a racehorse trainer, I didn't know the difference between a hurdle and a steeple.' Andrew Bobbin only started training less than five years ago so he has quickly learned, judging by Duke Of Bedford's determined Brierly Steeplechase win at Warrnambool. As a former NRL player with St George Illawarra in Sydney, Bobbin wasn't a regular viewer of jumps racing, which was last held in NSW in 1992. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! But Bobbin soon realised he could train jumpers and stayers at his property near Stawell in western Victoria. 'It started with a horse called Mighty Oasis,' Bobbin said. 'We had a few logs and popped him over them and we thought, 'what do you know? He might be able to jump'. 'So we started a new facet of training and something in which we have found a niche.' Mighty Oasis went on two win two hurdle races at the Thackeray Steeplechase at Warrnambool in 2023. Warrnambool gave Bobbin his richest win when Irishman William McCarthy steered Duke Of Bedford to his Brierly Steeplechase triumph. Bobbin was looking for a rider for Duke Of Bedford late last week before taking a punt on McCarthy, who was on his second day back from surgery to reattach shoulder tendons. McCarthy's record at Warrnambool convinced Bobbin to give the rider a chance for a rich payday early in his comeback from 10 months away from racing. McCarthy's confidence was high after winning the first race of the day on the Ciaron Maher-trained Through Irish Eyes. Bobbin hailed McCarthy's handling of Duke Of Bedford, who led from the first jump to the last, defying all challenges. 'Willie's record here at Warrnambool and when the weights came out, I still hadn't confirmed a rider,' Bobbin said. 'Tommy Ryan has done so much work on this horse and Will Gordon's done the most work on this horse but just the way the cards fell today, Willie got the job. 'There's none better than Willie around this circuit and I was bloody glad that Willie was on when the pressure was on.' Duke Of Bedford clears a steeple on his way to winning the Brierly Steeplechase. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images Duke Of Bedford ($4.40) prevailed over the local hope, the Symon Wilde-trained Freddy The Eagle ($7.50) while the $11 chance Instigator was third. Punters at Warrnambool gasped when the $3.30 favourite Leaderboard fell following a faulty step after jumping the first of the Tozer Road double. Leaderboard was quickly to his feet but is unlikely to be cleared to run in Thursday's Grand Annual Steeplechase. Jockey Will Gordon arrived back at scale with blood-spattered silks but was later cleared of a broken nose. Bobbin said he would take as long as allowed to decide whether Duke Of Bedford backed up in the Grand Annual Steeplechase. 'We'll see how the field holds up and at 7.28am on Thursday morning, I'll still be scratching my head,' Bobbin said. 'I might even toss a coin.' Originally published as Andrew Bobbin lands Brierly Steeplechase as he quickly establishes himself as a successful jumps trainer
