Latest news with #RichEnuff
News.com.au
09-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Oscar's Fortune steps up to 1400m test at Caulfield on Saturday
A rise in distance may be the tonic for Oscar's Fortune to return to winning ways, with trainer Gavin Bedggood to attack the Queensland carnival if the stakes-winning sprinter rekindles his best form at Caulfield on Saturday. Oscar's Fortune won the Group 3 Roma Cup (1100m) at Ascot last year, after a second-placing at Group 1 level behind Overpass in the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m). • 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 son of Rich Enuff will step out to 1400m for the first time on Saturday, taking on a Benchmark 100 Handicap. The ex-WA speedster, formerly trained by Dion Luciani, has had four unplaced starts for Bedggood after arriving at his stable in late October. He finished a disappointing ninth first-up at Flemington, before a sixth-placed finish next start at Mornington. 'I thought it (Mornington) was just a pass mark,' Bedggood, who trains at Cranbourne, said. 'He just held his gallop, in hindsight, Jamie Mott was of the opinion he probably would've been better off being ridden more forward.' Bedggood admits the gelding has been tricky to put a finger on this campaign, but believes there was an excuse for a below-par run first-up. The Group 1-winning handler is confident a rise in trip will suit the four-year-old, who has won $1.2m in prizemoney. • 'First-up it was a disadvantage if you weren't rails in the run, we were sort of exposed the whole way,' he said. 'We were probably disadvantaged that day, but I thought he would've carted up further than what he did. 'All the data we get off the horse, the equimetre readings in his trackwork, he's a mile and beyond horse, I don't know if he's that, but I don't think 1400m will be an issue. 'He's got a massive stride on him and he can hold a good gallop, if he can find the front tomorrow and not over-exert, that should set him up nicely.' Oscar's Fortune ($11) has drawn barrier two on Saturday, with apprentice hoop Logan Bates to ride. Bates' 3kg claim will bring the gelding in at 57kg in the weights. 'He's been carrying 60-plus kilos in all his runs, he gets down in the weights tomorrow and he's not giving away five or six kilos to his opponents, that will also assist him I think,' he said. Oscar's Fortune upsets the fav Amelia's Jewel in the G3 AC Milan Cup at Ascot! @PerthRacing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 6, 2024 The gelding's trackwork suggests that a return to form isn't far away, Bedggood has nominated him for two Queensland Group 1s, the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) on May 31, and the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 14. A tilt up North hinges on Saturday's performance. • 'His trackwork is the work of a proper racehorse, and backs up his previous form, he had a good jumpout on Monday morning, reverse way, with the view that if he runs well Saturday, we'll take him up to Brisbane. I'll be bitterly disappointed if he doesn't run well,' Bedggood said. 'The reality of it is, he's got to be running very well tomorrow to be running up there.' Bedggood has four runners at Caulfield on Saturday, including in-form mare Sirius Statement, who is chasing a hat-trick of wins in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m). 'She's drawn well, she'll land in a spot just behind the speed, mares in form can quite often continue on their way, it wouldn't surprise me to see her bobbing up tomorrow,' he said. Veteran gelding Just Folk will also line up in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast. 'They've had 16mm of rain overnight, that will assist him,' he said.
South China Morning Post
09-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Brenton Avdulla aims to help John Size reach major milestone on talented sprinter Wunderbar
Brenton Avdulla is excited to team up with Wunderbar for the first time in a race as the Australian bids to play a crucial role in helping John Size reach a major milestone at Sha Tin on Saturday. Eighteen months after guiding Wunderbar to victory in a Conghua trial, Avdulla hops aboard the only horse to have beaten superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising in Saturday's Class Two Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road Handicap (1,200m). A winner at six of 10 starts, including back-to-back victories over Ka Ying Rising last term, Wunderbar is one of Avdulla's four rides for Size, who has trained 1,599 winners in Hong Kong. After Wunderbar racked up four consecutive wins last year, three surprise defeats prompted Size to give him a breather. The Rich Enuff gelding resumes in an exciting finale to Saturday's card which also features in-form sprinters Fast Network, Bottomuptogether and Invincible Shield. Six wins from seven starts! 🚀 The favourite Wunderbar overhauls Bottomuptogether for a @zpurton three-timer at Sha Tin... #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) October 13, 2024 'Very early on in his career I trialled him at Conghua. It'll be good to be on him for the first time on race day and he's drawn well [in barrier three],' Avdulla said. 'He's probably found one of the hottest Class Twos of the season but I'm looking forward to riding him. 'He had those couple of runs where little things were against him and he probably didn't perform to his best and John started again with him. He seems like he's trialled OK, so you've got to respect the master taking him back to the races. 'He's obviously probably going to improve on whatever he does, but I'd expect him to run well if he's anywhere near his best. He'll give himself every chance from the draw.' Ahead of his first start since January, Wunderbar has notched three wins and a third from his four recent trials at Conghua. Avdulla is also optimistic about his chances on Size's progressive three-year-old Juneau Pride in the Class Three Lung Mun Road Handicap (1,400m) on Saturday. A pint-sized galloper weighing in at under 1,000lbs, Juneau Pride has racked up three victories and five placings from eight starts in an impressive debut campaign, with Avdulla on board for all but one race. His bid for a hat-trick fell narrowly short last start when he ran second to South Star under top weight of 135lbs. 'He's racing really well. He's probably one of my favourite horses to ride in Hong Kong,' Avdulla said. 'He's been so consistent. I don't think I've finished further back than third on him and he's never been beaten far. He bounces, you can put him anywhere and he tries hard. 'He's probably at that mark now where it's going to pull him up a little bit, but there looks to be three main chances and he's one of them with the other two who have drawn next to each other [Light Years Charm and Another World]. He'll run well again.' Juneau Pride again carries top weight of 135lbs but comes into gate two after almost overcoming barrier 10 last start. Fourth in the jockeys' championship with 38 wins this season, Avdulla also rides last-start dirt winner Meepmeep and Smashing Express for Size on Saturday. Lahore, Never Too Soon, Pejibaye and Fighting Machine are the 34-year-old's other rides. Size will also be represented by Arden, Bundle Of Charm and Lifeline Express as he bids to join John Moore in training 1,600 winners in the city.
