Apprentice Jaylah Kennedy chasing her first stakes win aboard Berkeley Square in 2024 Coongy Cup

The in-form combination of Berkeley Square and apprentice Jaylah Kennedy will chase a special win in Wednesday’s Group 3 Coongy Cup at Caulfield.

Wednesday’s Group 3 Coongy Cup no longer offers a Caulfield Cup start to the winner but a trainer’s faith could still provide a special moment for a young jockey.

Apprentice Jaylah Kennedy will have the chance to post her first stakes win when she rides Berkeley Square for Ballarat trainer Dan O’Sullivan in the $200,000 feature.

Kennedy has won on Berkeley Square at his last two outings, over 1700m at Flemington and 1800m at Sandown, but O’Sullivan was keen to see the five-year-old back over 2000m.

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Berkeley Square won the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase over the distance as a three-year-old and over 2000m at Caulfield in April.

O’Sullivan said Berkeley Square was ahead of schedule by winning over shorter distances at his past two outings.

“I know at the start of the campaign that I said to everybody that he needed to get to 2000(m) before he started winning but he’s won at 17(00m) and 18(00m) at his last two starts,” O’Sullivan said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him get out over 2000m-plus.”

Berkeley Square wins the last at Flemington on Makybe Diva Stakes Day! 💪

Jaylah Kennedy for @DOSullivanRacepic.twitter.com/WLD5yBG661

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 14, 2024

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Berkeley Square will carry 58kg, only 4kg above the limit, in the Coongy Cup.

O’Sullivan said the gelding was not badly off under the weight scale of the race while his Caulfield form could stand up on Wednesday.

“He gets in OK at the weights,” O’Sullivan said.

“His form at Caulfield is OK, he’s won here and had a couple of placings.

“He’s going really well this time in.”

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Ladbrokes rated the impressive first-up winner Kingswood as the $3.70 favourite in early Coongy betting ahead of Berkeley Square at $3.90.

O’Sullivan said Berkeley Square’s Coongy Cup performance would determine his next assignment.

“After each run with him, we’ll decide each run with him,” O’Sullivan said.

“We’ll decide whether to go up in distance in the Moonee Valley Cup or the 2000m on that day or wait for the Bendigo Cup.”

Originally published as Apprentice Jaylah Kennedy chasing her first stakes win aboard Berkeley Square in 2024 Coongy Cup