Kiwi-bred jumper Duke Of Bedford (NZ) (Tavistock) scored a memorable double at Warrnambool on Thursday when taking out the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) for trainer Andrew Bobbin.
The son of Tavistock was a popular four-length winner of the Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) at the Victoria track just two days prior, and was duly backed into $3.60 favouritism by punters.
Jockey Arron Lynch replaced William McCarthy aboard the six-year-old gelding in the Grand Annual, and he rode him like he stole him, opening up several lengths early on against his rivals, which he maintained throughout, earning a comfortable 12-length victory in the finish.
Post-race Bobbin admitted to feeling a bit nervous throughout the running, fearing Lynch may have pushed the button too early on his charge, but he needn’t have worried, and he hailed the gutsy ride.
“I was watching him go around and I thought, ‘gee Lynchy, what are you doing?’ But he just kept finding and finding,” Bobbin said. “I thought ‘we are going to stop here soon’, but when they came down the hill that second time, he only had to get over them. What a ride? And what a confident ride?
“Every jockey tells me that he might look like he is doing too much, but he’s just cruising, he is doing it so well.
“This was a bonus today, the Brierly was the goal, and the way he did that today he might have undersold his ability.”
With victory, Duke Of Bedford became the 23rd horse to complete the Brierly-Grand Annual double.
He was bred by Blandford Lodge’s Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax, and is out of winning Fastnet Rock mare Miralago, a half-sister to the dam of Group One winner Danzdanzdance.
“I have had that family for years and it goes way back to an English mare called Polly Soleil that I bought more than 30 years ago,” Graham Bax said.
“I have bred a lot of good mares out of that family, including (multiple Group One winner) Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel), (Group Two winner) Silky Red Boxer (NZ) (Casual Lies), Danzdanzdance, (stakes winner) Le Gai Soleil (NZ) (Tavistock), there’s a lot of good horses from that family.
“It is a super family that has been performing for Blandford Lodge for a long time.”
Duke Of Bedford was offered as at Inglis’ 2020 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale where he was purchased by STC Syndications for A$45,000. He went on to win one race for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young before he transferred to Andrew Bobbin’s Stawell barn, for whom he has added another seven victories to his tally, culminating in his Brierly-Grand Annual double.
