LAST year, Berkeley Square, who was the only Ballarat-trained horse in the Ballarat Cup, took out the local feature event and was the recipient of raucous support in the closing stages.
The rousing reception continued through to when apprentice jockey Jaylah Kennedy brought him back to scale.
Kennedy and Berkeley Square’s trainer, Dan O’Sullivan, are two of the most popular locals, and their victory was warmly received.
Berkeley Square is back to defend his crown this year, and he and Saint George will fly the Ballarat flag.
Kennedy is sidelined this yea,r and the gelding will be ridden by the in-form Luke Nolen.
Berkeley Square hasn’t won in his nine starts this year since he won the Ballarat Cup, but O’Sullivan said he is going as well as he was when he won last year.
Three starts ago Berkeley Square finished fourth in The Bart Cummings at Flemington, and then he finished third in the Geelong Cup. At his last star,t he finished fifth in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
O’Sullivan told Racing.com that it was a “really enjoyable” experience last year to win his first Ballarat Cup.
“It was a big thrill. He had a big campaign, and he had raced well in the Bendigo Cup and the Queen Elizabeth, so it was good to win the Ballarat Cup, which he deserved,” O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan said making the win even better was that it was Kennedy’s 100th winner and her first Listed race winner.
He said Berkeley Square was in similar good form.
“He ran well in the Geelong Cup, and that form has stood up with Torranzino running well in the Melbourne Cup. Then he went to the Queen Elizabeth, where he was too far out of his ground.”
“His form is just as good as last year,” he said of the $11 chance with Unibet.
O’Sullivan said he toyed with running Berkeley Square in the Zipping Classic at Caulfield last Saturday, but his best form is on bigger tracks.
Berkeley Square has had one run at Ballarat, which produced his win last year.
“I’m very happy; as happy as I was last year,” he said.
