Winning for the first time since his shock victory in the Listed Bernborough Quality (1600m) at Doomben back in December, the Steve Tregea-trained Bergerac gave apprentice Michael Murphy a career highlight in Saturday's $175,000 Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m).
Given a positive ride, the son of Drumbeats defeated the New Zealand iron horse, Sampson (Dubai Destination) by one and a quarter lengths with Fighting Teo (Teofilo) a luckless third after dipping badly when clipping heels. (image Racing Queensland)
"I said one thing to him - I thought you could probably lead at the post the first turn and that's what he did," Tregea," said.
"You could see on the corner he was going to be in the finish and that's credit to the ride.
"Coming to the furlong I saw him putting in the big strides and knew he was coming over the top of them, he's a stable favourite and it's always great to see him win.
"I like to stick with the same riders when I can, I've had a good working relationship with Michael and I'm glad it panned out for both of us today.
"The Rockhampton Cup was the plan with him but now he's won this I'm not sure what weight he will get."
With his second stakes win, Bergerac advances his record to 9 wins, 5 seconds and 2 thirds from 29 starts with earnings of $565,600.
The son of the Redoute's Choice stallion Drumbeats is a homebred for Tregea's Windemere Stud. He is a half-brother to the Listed winner Cheyenne Warrior (Not A Single Doubt) and a three-quarter brother to Group III winner and Group 1 placed Ardrossan (Redoute's Choice) out of the Iglesia mare Miss Argyle who Windemere had purchased for $270,000 at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast August Thoroughbred Sale.
Runner-up in the Listed AJC Gimcrack Stakes, Miss Argyle is a sister to the prolific winner Diamondsondinside whose 15 wins included a pair of Listed stakes wins, and to the dam of the Group II Queensland Guineas winner Express Air (Piccolo).
Miss Argyle has an unraced 2yo gelding by Shamus Award named Incentivise and a yearling gelding by Golden Archer. Her filly foal by by Whittington died after birth and she was covered by the son of Tale Of The Cat (USA) last spring.
