With his previous four wins coming on soft tracks or worse, a rapidly deteriorating Sandown-Lakeside track proved no disadvantage to the likeable Choisir gelding Cardinal Gem in Saturday's Group III Ladbrokes Victoria Handicap (1400m).
Ridden by Jordan Childs for Graeme Begg, Cardinal Gem launched down the centre of the track to defeat Frankie Pinot (Your Song) by two and a quarter lengths with Lady Of Honour (No Nay Never) a short-half-head back in third.
It advances the record of the 4yo gelding to five wins, four seconds, and two thirds from 19 starts with earnings of $550,985.
Graeme Begg hopes the race for Cardinal Gem is the $3,000,000 Group 1 Stradbroke Hcp at Eagle Farm on June 10.
"I’ve always liked him a lot, and I reckon there’s a decent race in him, maybe the Stradbroke; 1400, fast-run race,” Begg said
“He rode him a treat today, and the race set up beautifully for him.
“A lot of his races he hasn’t had a lot of luck in. Bad draws, speed of races, but when he gets the right ingredients, he’s pretty lethal.
“We know at home what he can do on the track, he’s got a great turn of foot. He just needs things to work to his advantage.
“We picked this race out months ago. His rating should go up, and we’ll head to Brisbane.
“He won at Flemington at the Sunday meeting back in September with 60 kilos. He came from last and got over the top of them. That was a Heavy 10 that day, so he’s quite adept in all ground. We’ve always preferred him on top of the ground - good, fast ground - but it’s great; we’ll take it. If he can handle soft ground, that’s perfect.
“There’s another race in a few weeks called the Anniversary Handicap. It’s back here over 1400m, whether we go to that or just back off slightly and organise our trip to Brisbane.
“But I think he deserves a shot at one of those big races. It’s a $3 million race that Stradbroke and I think he’ll be well-suited in it.”
Cardinal Gem was a $60,000 purchase for Grahame Begg Racing / Rohan Hughes from the Gippsland Bloodstock draft at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale Showcase.
Gippsland Bloodstock had pinhooked the son of Choisir for $32,000 from Aquis Farm at the 2019 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
He is the first foal of the Turffontein mare Eloquent Ruby, a sister to Group II VRC Edward Manifold stakes winner Fontein Ruby and a half to Group III winner The Mitigator and stakes-placed Palumbo.
Fontein Ruby is the dam of Group II MRC Caulfield Autumn Classic winner Parure (Fastnet Rock) and a $500,000 Justify filly named Fontaine Rouge, who is in training with Maher and Eustice.
Rohan Hughes purchased Eloquent Ruby for $30,000 t the 2021 Inglis June (Late) Online Sale.
Eloquent Ruby's colt from the first crop of Lean Mean Machine was a $230,000 purchase for L Smith / Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
He has been named Mean Feat and they must be happy with him as the same team went back to purchase a full sister for $150,000 when consigned by Twin Hills Stud to the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Eloquent Ruby was covered by Toronado (IRE)last spring after missing to the Swettenham Stud stallion in 2021.
