De Bergerac has secured its spot in the upcoming Santa Ana Lane Series Final next month, however, the gelding is slated to participate in Saturday’s final qualifying race to sharpen its preparation for the Listed event.
The five-year-old, trained by Grahame Begg, will compete in the $150,000 open handicap over 1100 metres at Flemington.
This race serves as the last heat prior to the $175,000 final, which will be run over 1200 metres on the July 4 Finals Day card. Begg expressed reservations about having De Bergerac proceed directly from the Listed Straight Six, where it finished second on May 16, to the final without another run.
“It was going to be six weeks between runs, so he’s got to go around next week,” he said.
“He loves the Flemington straight and this is his top-off run to go into the Santa Ana Lane two weeks later. He’s already qualified for that because he ran second in the other race (last start).”
In the Straight Six, De Bergerac, the heavily-backed $2.90 favourite, finished behind only Losesomewinmore.
This performance marked its sixth top-three finish across nine starts up the Flemington straight, including two victories.
De Bergerac maintained its fitness with a 900-metre trial last Thursday on Caulfield’s Heath track, finishing third, a length behind the winner Recuperato.
The son of Zoustar is one of three potential runners for Begg in Saturday’s open sprint. He has also entered Royal Insignia, a younger half-brother to De Bergerac. However, Begg will be monitoring track conditions, as the gelding performs less effectively on wet surfaces.
Both Royal Insignia and De Bergerac share the same dam, the Tobougg mare Yau Chin, who also produced Begg’s Blue Diamond winner, Written By.
Written By, a stallion based at Widden Stud, is the sire of Begg’s other contender for Saturday’s open sprint, Samangu. Samangu could be making her first appearance since securing second place in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 21.
Those keen to back De Bergerac can find competitive racing odds at leading Australian betting sites.
