Warrnambool two year old winner Gregington could be a contender for the 2015 Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield during the Spring Carnival.
Jackie Beriman rode Gredington to victory at Warrnambool, one of three winners for her on the day. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Trainer Pat Hyland was very impressed with Gregington’s win in the $35,000 Nevcon Structural Steel 2yo Handicap over 1300m on Sunday and said he will sit down and map out a Spring program for the colt.
“It was a great effort, I’d given up after the first fifty yards when he got back that far,” Hyland said.
“I know it’s only Warrnambool on a wet day but he’s a very promising horse. I think he could be a Guineas horse.
“He’s carried 60kg and it was a great effort, I think we’re going to have a lot of fun with him.”
In form jockey Jackie Beriman eased Gredington back in the early stages to near the tail of the field but the Magnus colt was able to gather enough momentum to peg back the leaders in the straight to record a nose win over Just One Moment.
While Beriman said that Gredington didn’t feel comfortable in the heavy conditions in the first half of the race, he really knuckled down and went through the wet surface in the run to the line.
“I wasn’t supposed to ride him like that but I was going to be stuck wide,” Beriman said.
“I ended up three-wide with cover behind Damien Oliver (Broadway Danza) and he was struggling a little bit in the heavy going, it’s very heavy out there, but he really revelled in it that last bit.
“He’s going to get over further and he’s a really nice horse with a bright future.”
Sunday’s win was Gredington second visit to the winner’s stall after he scored on debut in a 1000m Crandbourne two year old maiden back in January.
Hyland has already tested Gredington in Group company and he wasn’t disgraced when three and quarter lengths fourth to Jameka in the Group 2 $200,000 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington during the 2014 Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
Gredington was the first of three winners for Beriman who also won on Forgeress for trainer Quinton Scott in the $35,000 Western District Employment F&M BenchMark 78 Handicap (1200m) and on Jarrah Twist in the $35,000 Cleanskins Laser Clinic BenchMark 78 Handicap (1400m) for Warrnambool trainer Daniel Bowman.
