Bermadez digs deep to salute at Flemington
The Mike Moroney-trained Bermadez was back in the winner’s circle for the first time since May 2022 with a hard-fought victory at Flemington on Saturday.
The seven-year-old son of Tavistock loves the vast spaces of Flemington and needed every inch as he collared Beehunter and Suparazi in the shadows of the post with the trio more than five lengths clear of their rivals in a small field.
Bermadez has been in good form this campaign, finishing runner-up in all three starts prior to Saturday’s victory.
Punters sent the gelding out as favourite with top horse racing bookmakers on the strength of his second placing in the $300,000 Coastal Classic (1700m) where he chased home the in-form Holymanz.
Despite Suparazi and Beehunter stealing a march on Bermadez, Moroney said he was confident the consistent galloper would reel in his rivals.
“I thought when he got to the outside he would pick them up because he has done that before where he arrives late,” Moroney said.
“He has never won by very big margins and I was quietly confident he still had a chance of picking them up.
“I’d like to have a go at 2000m with him now. We had a go (at the distance) in the Ballarat Cup but it was very wet and it was at the end of a long preparation.
“He’s in the right stage of his preparation now to have a go and I think it will be his right trip now that he has got a bit older. He did take forever to pick them up today and I think he is in the right form to have a go at it now.
“We will find the right open or Benchmark race for him and it would be nice if it was here at Flemington on his preferred track.
“He is pretty lightly raced horse for one reason or another. He had a lot of immaturity things go wrong as a young horse and I think there is still at least another 12 months of good racing in him.”