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Promising stayer Beaujolais Prince has given Camperdown trainer Ron Gravett his most important win in the $150,000 Listed Bagot Hcp (2500m) at Flemington.
Promising stayer Beaujolais Prince has given Camperdown trainer Ron Gravett his most important win in the $150,000 Listed Bagot Hcp (2500m) at Flemington.
Gravett twice tried to win a feature race at Flemington on New Year's Day but came up short in the Group Three Standish Hcp when his prolific-winning galloper Durham Rivers finished fourth in 1992 and sixth in 1994.
Durham Rivers won 26 races, 25 of them for Gravett, and more than $270,000 in his 125 start career.
Beaujolais Prince is already building an impressive strike rate with the win his eighth in 19 starts, taking his stake earnings to more than $220,000.
Premier apprentice Nicholas Ryan took the lead on the Melbourne jockeys' premiership with another superb ride on Beaujolais Prince (17-2) who was his 30th city win for the season and part of a quartet of wins at the meeting.
After settling the five-year-old midfield in the capacity field of 16, Ryan made a timely run on the gelding in the straight to score by a half-length from Forest Pride (9-2), ridden by Blake Shinn, with Team Heritage (11-1), who was having his first start for five months, a long neck away third.
Gravett couldn't hide his delight.
"He's a bloody good horse," he said.
Gravett said he wasn't used to the big occasions and was more at home travelling to bush tracks with his one or two-horse team.
"I think I would be at more at ease in a maiden at Penshurst today rather than have one of the fancies for the Bagot, but it is a wonderful feeling and a wonderful race to win," he said.
Gravett said predicted even bigger successes ahead for Beaujolais Prince who has seemingly improved with every start.
"I always said to the owners that he would win a good race but after looking at that race I don't know whether that is the good one yet, there may be another one in him," he said.
He said Beaujolais Prince had been unlucky at his last two starts when placed at Moonee Valley and Flemington after drawing wide barriers.
"We drew the pole today and it was certainly a winning advantage," Gravett said.
Beaujolais Prince, by 1994 Melbourne Cup winner Jeune from Rubiton mare Ruby Dancer, was bred by his owners John and Peter Lloyd and Wayne Krepp
John Leek nearly pulled off a remarkable training feat with Grand National Hurdle winner Team Heritage who, having his first run since July, looked a serious winning chance at the 200 metres.
"If he wins it would have been fantastic but it was too good to be true," Leek said.
"He has come back and found half a dozen lengths as a flat horse but he lacked a touch in the legs today.
"He is a courageous horse and just keeps on giving and giving."
Team Heritage will campaign over jumps at Oakbank in March and Warrnambool in May.
