Trainer Gavin Bedggood confident Kingswood is ready for a classic performance in the $2m Five Diamonds at Rosehill

Astute trainer Gavin Bedggood feels he has imported galloper Kingswood in fine tune and ready to motor as he chases a hat-trick in the $2m Five Diamonds at Rosehill.

The only blemish Kingswood has recorded since joining Gavin Bedggood was in a blood sample but his Victorian trainer expects his flawless form on the track to be back on show at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Bedggood will bring Kingswood to Sydney for the first time chasing a winning hat-trick when his lightly-raced talent lines up in the Listed $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m).

Kingswood hasn’t raced since his impressive Group 3 Coongy Cup win at Caulfield on October 16 after a minor setback in the lead up next start in the JRA Cup at The Valley late last month.

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A blood test found a small blemish before returning to normal two days later.

“If I hadn’t taken the blood leading into Moonee Valley, I wouldn’t have known any different but if you take it and then don’t follow it, what’s the point of taking it?” Bedggood said.

“We decided not to start him but he hasn’t missed a beat.

“He hasn’t missed any work.

“He was pretty fit going into that race, going to 2000m last start so the three and a half weeks between runs doesn’t hold any concern.”

Kingswood has already been a revelation for Bedggood, who won his first Group 1 earlier this spring with Mornington Glory in the Moir Stakes, since joining his yard from Maddie Raymond at the beginning of the spring.

The son of Roaring Lion had started his career over in Europe and was placed in Group 3 grade last year before beginning the next phase of his life in Australia in 2024.

Kingswood gave Bedggood a glimpse of his talent with a dominant stable debut win at Sandown Hillside and backed it up in the Coongy Cup.

The King of the Coongy Cup! 👑

Kingswood destroys his rivals in the G3 feature & makes it back-to-back victories for @GavinBedggood 🏆 @JohnnyA_24pic.twitter.com/97cweKcnCP

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 16, 2024

• ‘Sorry, he gets emotional talking about this horse’

“Most of the tried horses you get have always got an ailment or a niggle or something like that but he has been very straight forward,” Bedggood said.

Kingswood only gained a start for the Five Diamonds on Thursday morning following the scratchings of Docklands and Desert Lightning.

Docklands will instead run in the Champions Stakes where Kingswood had also been acceptor but Bedggood was confident galloper would be on the float to Sydney.

“We had a pretty good idea not long after acceptances came out on Wednesday that he was likely to get a run so we were able to plan for it,” he said.

Kingswood, a $8.50 chance with the bookies, is one of two Victorian raiders that are set to be among the leading contenders in the Five Diamonds.

Last start Group 2 Hill Stakes winner Attrition ($6.50) is also back in Sydney while talented Queenslanders Yellow Brick ($7) and Freedom Rally ($19) will chase the big bucks.

The Paul Niceforo-trained Territory Express has been the subject of support, shortening from $8 into $5 favouritism during the week.

Territory Express will jump from one to the outside of Kingswood, who has an excellent draw in barrier five.

.@GavinBedggood's Miss Icelandic puts her head in front in the shadows of the post 🗣️@BMelhampic.twitter.com/Lzn8n1DiVE

— Racing.com (@Racing) July 31, 2024

• ‘Too fresh last time’: Yellow Brick to fire in Five Diamonds

Bedggood will leave it in jockey John Allen’s capable hands to work out how to ride Kingswood from the good gate.

“He knows the horses and it will just be ride him where he is comfortable,” he said.

“If he can be in the first half, great, but if they are going to go along at a good clip and he ends up midfield or the second half of the field that so be it.

“He has got a good turn of foot but you just need to ride him where he is comfortable.”

Bedggood also has Pesto ($51) in the Group 3 $300,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington however the veteran stayer could be saved for Sunday’s Ararat Cup after drawing gate 11 of 11 on Champions Day.

He was the first emergency at Ararat but has a good draw in barrier five.

“I think the key to him is a low draw,” Bedggood said.

Miss Icelandic, rated a $31 outsider, finishes Bedggood’s day in the World Horse Racing Grand Benchmark 80 Handicap (1100m) where she will partnered by visiting Sydney hoop Nash Rawiller.

Originally published as Trainer Gavin Bedggood confident Kingswood is ready for a classic performance in the $2m Five Diamonds at Rosehill