Surprise stable addition for Bedggood

Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood has been handed the reigns of come-back stayer Surprise Baby.

The son of Shocking has been off the scene since finishing 13th in last year’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), subsequently suffering a hock injury when preparing for the Gr.2 Zipping Classic (2400m).

Previously trained by Paul Preusker, Surprise Baby shot to prominence in 2019 when winning the Gr.2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at just his sixth start before later that year winning the Gr.3 Bart Cummings (2500m) and a ticket into the Melbourne Cup.

A feel-good racing story, Surprise Baby was purchased for just $5,500 from gavelhouse.com by John Fiteni, who took a chance on the untried Kiwi galloper. 

The bargain buy stormed home in the Melbourne Cup for a luckless fifth and from his 14 starts to date has earned A$1 million. 

Jumps jockey turned trainer Bedggood said Surprise Baby had arrived in top condition at his stable after several weeks of rehab at Monomeith Park. 

“He had a break in a hock where they've inserted a screw but the healings all done there and fingers crossed it's all systems go,” Bedggood told Radio TAB.

“I had a ride on him this morning and he feels a million dollars. He’s lovely and sound in his action, he’s bright in himself and you would never pick it at all so obviously the more we increase his workload time will tell. 

“The injured area looks 100 percent and he's had the right thing done by him and been given plenty of time and patience and no stone has been left unturned in getting him back.”

Bedggood, who is in his fifth season of training and recently won his first stakes race with No Effort, was delighted to get the call to train Surprise Baby but admits there is a certain amount of pressure with training a cult-horse who has run so well in a Melbourne Cup. 

“I probably feel a little bit like I’m on a hiding to nothing, given he reached the pinnacle running in two Melbourne Cups and running so well in one of them. I just hope I can do the horse justice and do my best for the owners,” he said.

The Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m), which is scheduled for November 13 or the Gr.3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on November 27 are potential kick-offs for Surprise Baby, who won’t be ready for a Cup tilt this year.

“If it doesn't look like he's going to be ready to go he won't be rushed we'll just put him away and getting ready for the autumn,” Bedggood said.

El Vencedor continues family legacy

Three-year-old gelding El Vencedor is looking to continue his family’s legacy after comfortably securing his maiden win in the DPA Chartered Accountants (1200m) at Taupo on Friday.

The son of Shocking had shown plenty of ability in his trials, and when runner-up on debut as a juvenile in May, but failed to flatter when first-up on the Cambridge Synthetic earlier this month.

He atoned for his last start with victory on Friday after sitting outside pacemaker Moana for the majority of the journey.

He finally put it all together today and delivered how we really hoped. We hoped to see the proper horse today and we did,” trainer Stephen Marsh said.

“He has shown a lot of promise, we never doubted his ability, but that last start was just a disaster. 

“Today he certainly put his right foot forward, we had been expecting that for a while, and I was very pleased to see it today on a good track.”

Marsh is well familiar with his family, having trained many of his siblings, including Group One performer Chocante.

“This horse is actually the best type out of the lot that I have had,” Marsh said. “They haven’t been too good through the legs but he is a very good type, correct, and has got a great temperament. I do think he is the best of them.”

El Vencedor is also the half-brother of Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Sky Darci, who was purchased out of Highden Park’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $160,000.

Marsh thinks there are big things instore for El Vencedor who will have his first stakes assignment in a fortnight before a potential trip south to Christchurch in November for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

“The family is good, that mare (Strictly Maternal) has done a great job and I think this guy will carry on through to some very good races,” Marsh said.

“He will go to the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) in 15 days. If he can go well down there then he will be on a path directly to the Guineas.”

Rua Rocks breaks maidens at Taupo

Promising four-year-old Rua Rocks broke maiden company at Taupo on Friday when taking out the Mitre 10 Mega Taupo (1800m).

The son of El Roca was having his sixth start for trainer Carl Henderson and had been knocking on the door for some time, having placed in three previous outings.

Co-breeder and part-owner Casey Dando was pleased with the win and said his ownership group have taken a patient approach with the gelding.

“He has taken his time, he is not a very big fella,” Dando said. 

“There was a bit of talk early on and a bit of money thrown around for him but we would rather race him and have a bit of fun with him.

“I don’t think it will be his last (win). I think he will just get stronger and stronger.

“I bred him with my ex-wife Michelle. We took him to the sales and didn’t get what we wanted for him.”

Formerly running Bradbury Park with his former wife, Michelle Dando, Casey Dando is now enjoying working with a smaller number of mares at his boutique thoroughbred operation, Ardie Thoroughbreds.

“We are mainly foaling down and growing out the young horses,” he said.

“The plan going forward is to focus on selling at the weanling sales as opposed to the yearling sales.

“We are still taking in outside mares and ideally we will get up to about 25 mares.”

Rua Rocks is one of nine winners from the prolific producer Heartache, dam of Group Two winner Sworn To Secrecy and stakes performers One Nite Stand, Brave Heart and Tenko. 

Maasir makes winning return

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards had strong representation in the Pitch Sports Bar & Lucky Lizard (1300m) at Taupo on Friday, winning with Maasir, with Aromatic securing a stabe quinella.

Although settling last on a comfortable pace and still eight lengths astern at the 600m, Maasir took an inside passage and quickened too strongly for his opponents, with stablemate Aromatic finding plenty after racing outside the leader.

It was a cagey ride by talented hoop Ryan Elliot, seizing the initiative to save ground, and one that determined the outcome in the mind of Richards.

“He was given a lovely ride by Ryan, and really, the ride was the winning of the race,” he said. 

“If he’d had to come around the field, I doubt he could have won, but he snuck up the inside and duly delivered. I was pretty happy with that.”

Last season, Maasir recorded consecutive victories to 2100 metres at Te Rapa, and appeared a likely contender for three-year-old classics before injury stymied his campaign.

“He’s come up well since the knee surgery in February, when he was working up as though he could have been a realistic chance in the Avondale Guineas (Gr. 2, 2100m) and he was one of the favourites for the New Zealand Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m),” Richards said.

“We gave him plenty of time and he’s come back in good shape. I’d been pleased with the way he’d trialled and it was a good fresh-up effort.”

Raced by the Te Akau Proisir Pride Racing Partnership, Maasir was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $72,500 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Leanach Lodge.