OPPORTUNITY BECKONS FOR BIG BERKELEY
One-time Victoria Derby favourite Berkeley Square will finally have the chance to put aside an unlucky autumn in Saturday’s VOBIS Gold Heath at Caulfield.
Berkeley Square won the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase in 2022 before finishing sixth in that year’s Victoria Derby as the $3.30 favourite.
Berkeley Square has not won a race since the Moonee Valley Vase but spent time on the sidelines with an injury in the first half of last year before his spring ended after the Turnbull Stakes.
The four-year-old has raced well in all four runs this time in, battling wide runs and bad luck in running in three of those outings.
Trainer Dan O’Sullivan said Berkeley Square was working as well as ever but just needed even luck to prove that assessment in the VOBIS Gold Heath.
“When you look at this race, it’s worth really good money and he gets in very well at the handicap,” O’Sullivan said.
“He just needs to have a kill to get his confidence back.
“I think the horse is going very, very well. He had no luck at Group 3 (level) the other day and hopefully he gets the right run in this race and he can show the public how he’s going.
“He’s either been caught wide or held up. Hopefully his luck improves on the weekend.”
Berkeley Square’s rating of 97 is 12 points higher than his nearest rival, the Matt Cumani-trained Khoekhoe, meaning he would carry at least 6kg more than his opposition on Saturday.
However, the son of Territories will carry 2kg above the minimum and 2kg less than the top weights under the set weights and penalties conditions of the $175,000 race.
The favourable weight terms prompted punters to back Berkeley Square from $3 to $2.40 in early betting.
“I just think now, as he’s got older, he probably needs the 2000(m) to be winning and he just needs luck in the right places and he’ll be right,” O’Sullivan said.
“He’s a big horse and he needs things to go right and hopefully he gets the right run on the weekend.”
Jockey Luke Currie will resume his partnership with Berkeley Square at Caulfield.