Bedggood, Kingswood no underdogs in Underwood

MELBOURNE – Kingswood has come a long way since joining the team of Gavin Bedggood.

Starting his career in Ireland, Kingswood had a stint with Maddie Raymond at Warrnambool before joining the Bedggood yard in mid-2024, winning at his first two outings at Caulfield, including the Group 3 Coongy Cup (2,000m).

Fast forward to the end of 2025 and Bedggood took a punt and headed to New Zealand with the grey seven-year-old entire where he picked up a Group 1 win at Ellerslie, the Zabeel Classic (2,000m) on Dec 26, 2025.

Coming off a first-up win at Caulfield over stablemate Just Folk in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1,700m) on Aug 29, Kingswood lines up for his first Group 1 test on Australian soil in the A$1 million (S$907,000) Underwood Stakes (1,800m) at Caulfield on Sept 19.

While the son of Roaring Lion was also nominated for the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2,000m) on the same Caulfield programme, Bedggood said it had always been the plan to start in the Underwood.

“I threw in a nom for the Naturalism in case something happened,” said Bedggood.

“He’s as good as I could have him and he’s improved from his first-up run and I suppose Saturday will be a good test to see where he sits against that calibre of horse.”

Kingswood has drawn the widest gate against seven opponents which has been reduced by one, following the scratching of the Chris Waller-trained Aeliana who remains in Sydney to contest the Group 2 Seven Sunrise Stakes (1,600m) at Randwick.

Waller is still left with a strong hand in the Underwood Stakes, a race he has won twice with Foreteller (2014) and Buckaroo (2024), who, along with Lindermann and Birdman, will make up his 2026 trio.

Bedggood said that Kingswood was fit enough to run well in the Heatherlie Stakes, believing he has come on for the win.

“He was pretty screwed down first-up but with improvement to come,” he said.

“He definitely hasn’t regressed. His coat has improved and his last two Monday mornings have been great, so I wouldn’t swap my horse for any other in the race.”

Saturday’s assignment will lead to either the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2,000m) at Flemington on Oct 3 or the Group 1 Might And Power Stakes (2,000m) at Caulfield a week later.

Kingswood has 55kg in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2,400m) on Oct 17 and sits No. 20 in the ballot order following the release of weights on Sept 17, while the Group 1 Cox Plate (2,000m) at Flemington on Oct 24 has not been ruled out. SKY RACING WORLD