Story by Michael Manly – Racing.com
In a popular hometown result, trainer Dan O’Sullivan and his apprentice Jaylah Kennedy combined to win their hometown $500,000 Ballarat Cup with iron horse Berkeley Square.
The appreciation of the combination winning was met with rapturous applause when Be
rkeley Square came back to the mounting yard.
For O’Sullivan it was his first Ballarat Cup win from only three runners in the race. Four years ago, his mare Affair To Remember, who was also raced by Adelaide breeder and owner David Peacock, went down by a short half-head.
O’Sullivan has been training for 30 years at Ballarat and local identities made a beeline to congratulate him.
For him to win the race with Kennedy and a galloper who puts in every time he goes to the races made it even better.
“It’s just bloody brilliant. For lots of reasons, just for the horse, for Jaylah. A lot of support here today. We backed the horse, we backed ourselves, we backed him up. And he got the job done,” O’Sullivan said.
“To have a local Ballarat horse win. We’ve got our marquees here and
Jaylah to step up and ride and do the job properly. It’s all part of the package.”
O’Sullivan described Berkeley Square as a machine.
“He tries every time. Doesn’t look like he’s going fast, but he’s got a massive stride on him,” he said.
O’Sullivan said Berkeley Square was such a big horse he could be a bit clumsy, but Kennedy had done a great job riding him in track work.
He said in the spring of 2023 he threw Berkeley Square in the deep end, so this carnival he decided to drop him back a peg or two and concentrate on the Benchmark 100s to get his confidence up.
“Jaylah has clicked with him and rides him. He’s big and sound and so tough,” O’Sullivan said.
“He’s a machine. He’s sound. He tries every time.”
O’Sullivan said 2000m was Berkeley Square’s pet distance, but they will give the Pakenham Cup (2400m) in a fortnight some consideration.
“I’m not saying he won’t get 2400m but we will concentrate on today for the moment,” he said.
Berkeley Square ($6) surged home to defeat Lady In Pink ($12) by a short neck, with frontrunner Globe ($13) fighting on bravely to be a head away third.
Presentation to connections after Berkeley Square won the Sportsbet Ballarat Cup at Sportsbet-Ballarat Racecourse on December 07, 2024 in Ballarat, Australia. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos)
