Euro bred stayers are always hard to beat in Australian staying feature races and they filled the trifecta in the $6.5million Group I MRC Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday when locally trained glorious greys Kingswood (GB) and Saint George (GB) fought out the finish ahead of international visitor Enfjaar (IRE).
An open race this year with many contenders, the Bob and Sandra Peters bred Cosmic Crusader was sent off favourite as the hope of the Australasian bred horses and he ran a brave race for fourth, but could not quite match the Euro bred stayers.
Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood coaxed a Group I win in New Zealand from his handsome grey stallion Kingswood in December last year and he soared to new heights today.
Ridden by John Allen, Kingswood was put to sleep from a wide gate and surged late to score by half length over Saint George, with both greys sired from the one and only crop of foals by 2018 European Horse of the Year Roaring Lion.
The race was marred by a nasty fall after the field turned for home when last year’s winner Half Yours fell due to crowding with Mark Zahra in the saddle and Ohope Wins and Jye McNeil were also caught up in the incident.
Half Yours was able to return to the horse stalls, but dual Oaks winner Ohope Wins suffered a catastrophic injury and was humanely euthanised, while Zahra and McNeil were transported to hospital for observation and assessment after walking to the ambulance. Our thoughts are with Yulong and the Chris Waller stable following the loss of their lovely mare.
Kingswood wins the 150th Caulfield Cup ?? There was a nasty fall in the straight, we will provide the latest as it comes to hand. https://t.co/p2393hy5sq
— 7HorseRacing ?? (@7horseracing) October 17, 2026
"I'm just rapt for my team at home. They all turn up every day and they work really hard. I'm a hard task master. I'm anal and like things done a particular way. They put up with me and I don't get the results that I'm getting without good people behind me,” said Gavin Bedggood, who was initially dismayed when Kingswood drew barrier 17.
"I was gutted when I saw it and thought we had to go back. You speak to people that you need to speak to and I had a chat to Johnny (Allen) yesterday and said, you're riding it, you've drawn 17.
“I've ridden in races and it's easy to sit on the sidelines and say I want you to do this, I want you to do that, but it's not an easy task from we here drew. I pretty much left it in his hands.”
Kingswood had seven starts in Ireland at two and three for one win and some handy efforts in good company before coming to Australia in 2024. He had two unplaced runs for Maddie Rayond before going into work with Bedggood.
“I have to thank Darren Weir. He told the owners to send the horse my way, so I'm really grateful for that,” said Bedggood.
“When I got it, he told me it reminded him of Puissance De Lune, not because it's a grey, but because it's tough, it's got a good constitution and it's got a good capacity. He was bang on with everything he said."
The emotion of winning a major ?? What a training effort from Gavin Bedggood to get Kingswood up in the Caulfield Cup ?? @GavinBedggood https://t.co/8LGnipmH3G
— 7HorseRacing ?? (@7horseracing) October 17, 2026
John Allen was thrilled to deliver the win for Kingwood and his connections.
"Great performance, unbelievable effort by Gavin, he had the horse spot on for today, he's been going super this prep, he was super first up and then competing against the best the last couple of starts, dropped in weight today,” said Allen.
"We were three wide early, but he was in a nice rhythm, didn't want to light him up and push forward. When a bit of a wave came around him at the 1200, I was happy to leave that go and tack them into the race, I knew he'd show a good turn of foot if he travelled well into the home straight and he cantered up to them and put them away.
“It’s great for the owners too, Glyn and his partner have been great supporters of mine, great to pay them back with a big win, and for Gavin, he's a trainer going places, we'll be hearing a lot more of him after I'm retired."
Surpassing the $5m mark with seven wins and five placings from 24 starts, the Lanwades Stud bred Kingswood was purchased by his owner Glyn Davies, for 130,000 euros at the 2021 Goffs Ireland Orby Yearling Sale.
Kingswood is the second Caulfield Cup winner bred and sold by Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades Stud as they were also responsible for the 2022 winner Durston (GB).
Kingswood is a half-brother to Eldar Eldarov, winner of both the G1 Doncaster St Leger and Irish St Leger, being from stakes-winning Sea The Stars mare All At Sea, a half-sister to stakes-winner Alwilda, the dam of Champion Mare and six-time G1-winning Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista.
Kingswood is one of two G1 winners from the one and only Northern Hemisphere bred crop of foals by 2018 European Horse of the Year Roaring Lion, who died tragically at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand in 2019 before he could cover a mare.
One can only wonder what sort of impact Roaring Lion may have had if he had lived given his one and only crop produced 8 SW's at 9% SW to runner.
