Gavin Bedggood ponders shot at Group 1 Moir Stakes with Valley 1000m specialist Mornington Glory

The Group 1 Moir Stakes could be too hard to resist for trainer Gavin Bedggood after Mornington Glory preserved his perfect 1000m The Valley record in the Carlyon Stakes.

Mornington Glory knuckles down to win the Carlyon Stakes at The Valley on Saturday. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Mornington Glory has forced trainer Gavin Bedggood into a week of “soul searching” as to whether to target the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley in a fortnight.

Mornington Glory preserved a perfect 1000m record at the track on Saturday to win the Listed Carlyon Stakes from Queensland raider Golden Boom, Sans Doute and Bold Bastille.

“A bit of soul searching to do the next week,” an emotional Bedggood said.

“Everything you hear on the radio the last four, five or six weeks is going there (Moir Stakes), but it’s probably hard not to go.

“He’s three for three here at the 1000m and a Group 1 would be great on mine and his CV.”

Mornington Glory placed third in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1000m) last February.

The six-year-old Shalaa gelding has won five of 13 starts for Bedggood and been runner-up four times.

“I can’t explain how grateful I am, (owners) thrown me a bone from nowhere and I’m trying my best to deliver, he’s a good horse and I’m very grateful,” Bedggood said.

Mornington Glory lets rip to win the Carlyon Stakes! 🔥@[e-mail]/qM6PkxpMo9

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 24, 2024

Mornington Glory faced the breeze three wide in the 1000m drag race and kept going under jockey Ethan Brown.

“He broke really well actually and from there I had to ride my horse, trust that he was good enough and he was,” Brown said.

“I thought we had them covered (around the bend) it was just a matter of balancing up, if you watched closely he changes legs at the 100m and then he really goes.”

Brown endorsed Mornington Glory’s Group 1 credentials, should Bedggood go that way.

“I know he wanted to take the easier path through but what he’s done there was pretty brilliant,” Brown said.

“Gavin will have to make the decision there, but if he decided to go that way I’m sure he’d make his presence felt.”

DASHING INTO SPRING

Dashing Duchess has helped her chances of getting into the Melbourne Cup-qualifying Archer Stakes at Flemington on September 14 with a dominant win at The Valley.

The Symon Wilde-trained mare relished a mid-race move from Vegas Knight, finished fourth, to surge clear late in the 2500m Quality Handicap.

“We’ll have a look perhaps at The Archer, if her rating goes up to get in,” Wilde’s father Bill said.

“She’d be questionable to get into the race, hopefully, onwards and upwards, there’s plenty of options, she obviously likes Moonee Valley, the Moonee Valley Cup could be an option.

“We’ll see how she measures up, maybe in The Archer.”

Dashing Duchess, with an 83 rating going into the race, would need to nudge the 90-point mark to be assured a start in The Archer.

Dashing Duchess is a stayer on the up! 📈@jamieleekah07@wilde_racingpic.twitter.com/oKJQpCb41L

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 24, 2024

FAVOURITE HOPES EVAPORATE QUICKLY

Many punters thought Lindsay Park would win the Airitalia Handicap (1523m) but some were surprised to see the $2.60 favourite Dom miss a place.

Dom weakened after racing near the lead to finish fourth but trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes still found the winners’ stall with developing three-year-old Evaporate.

Evaporate was gelded before he started his current preparation but the son of Per Incanto showed he was one to follow as distances increased with his strong win.

“We think he’ll be better over further again,” Ben Hayes said.

“We just felt the gelding would help make him a racehorse and you could see today, he really did it the hard way and made a long sustained run.”

Evaporate gets over the top of Trunk late to score!@lindsayparkracepic.twitter.com/nRt8GGeKCL

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 24, 2024

PHOTO GOES AGAINST PHOTOGRAPH

Immortal Star earned a reward for consistency but Photograph backers were left to lament after the Vale Black Caviar Plate.

Photograph jumped well but top jockey Jamie Kah found herself in an awkward spot on the Godolphin filly when it was time to improve from the 500m.

Blake Shinn had sent the Danny O’Brien-trained Immortal Star for home at the 200m while Photograph was still under a hold, six lengths from the leader on the home turn.

Photograph charged home late but fell a head short of the winner.

Kah later conceded to stewards she “may have been better served attempting to be more positive in the early stages to obtain a position closer in running.”

GAME, SETTEE, MATCH

Trosettee bucked a trend of minor placings to secure a breakthrough Australian win.

The Patrick Payne-trained New Zealand export, placed in four of 11 starts for the stable the past 18 months, chimed in late at The Valley to blouse Regal Zous in the 1600m Benchmark 78 under jockey Billy Egan.

“He’s been a very consistent horse since joining the stable, just very happy, also to ride another one for Patrick,” Egan said.

– additional reporting by Brad Waters

Originally published as Gavin Bedggood ponders shot at Group 1 Moir Stakes with Valley 1000m specialist Mornington Glory