3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes following the SCAADA Group BM64 Handicap won by Mornington Glory at Geelong on Wednesday.

Race Result:

1st: Mornington Glory (Beau Mertens/Gavin Bedggood) - $3.80
2nd: It's Kind Of Magic (Mark Zahra/Tom Dabernig) - $27
3rd: Miss Icelandic (Jamie Kah/Matt Laurie) - $7

Winning Time: 1:04.95    Last 600m: N/A

Margins: 2½L x 1L

Winning Trainer: Gavin Bedggood

"Owners have been patient and hopefully he can go on with this and be rewarded.

"He's a lovely horse. He came to us in great condition and he's just a very nice horse to have around. Everyone loves him.

"He was marked (on Racing Australia) as retired so there were a few hoops to jump through to get him reinstated. I'd had a bit of luck with Charlemagne from the same ownership and that was the story behind getting this horse.

"Very grateful to have a horse of this class sent to me.

"We'll take each run as it comes. He initially pulled up well from his first-up run but a couple of days later he had a bad blood (result) and we had to back off his for a few weeks hence the five week (break) to the jump outs but I thought he trialled really well and was quietly confident coming here today.

"That race qualifies him for the final on Stakes Day and that will be his next target."

Winning Jockey: Beau Mertens

"The horse has shown me that he has a bit of ability. It was a great first-up run at Ballarat after a long time off and Gavin and the team have done a great job to get him where he is today.

"Gave him that trial in between and a good gap between runs and he just presented so well today.

"We got in a nice enough spot, admittedly there wasn't a lot of pressure today but once he got clear in the straight he really accelerated underneath me.

On the race: "I always knew there was going to be a lot of pressure and pace around me and it was always going to be sticky drawing out wide but all the pressure came and it worked out great that I was able to peel off in the straight."