I guess Guy Heveldt didn't see the prompt in the RaceForm that Jaylegh Kennedy is and apprentice from NZ! Wins the Ballarat Cup!

[Trojan]

An excellent ride by Jaylegh Kennedy to win the Ballarat Cup on Berkeley Square.  A very very good young apprentice from Wingatui - NZ!!

Great interview afterwards as well.

Shame the Big Saturday didn't mention Jaylegh is another supremo export from the South Island!

[Murray Fish]

I missed that race, but did note him getting rather excited when one won using blinkers!!!

 

[Chief Stipe]

Kennedy makes most of Cup chance

www.racing.com

There is an undeniable element of a fairy tale about Jaylah Kennedy’s Listed Ballarat Cup win aboard Berkeley Square.

 

A late call-up, victory in her hometown Cup, and her first Stakes success coinciding with her 100th career win, on her favourite horse, trained by her master –could you script it?

 

“Honestly, I can't believe it,” Kennedy said post-race.

 

“Condolences to Luke; he was meant to be aboard today and I'm just so thankful that I was given the opportunity to get on him today.

 

“I'm just so lucky to be in the position that I am, and this horse. This horse has taken me on such a journey over the spring.”

 

"I can't believe it!"

 

Jaylah Kennedy only received the ride on Berkeley Square overnight & she was beyond proud to win her hometown Cup 🏆@stowaustralia pic.twitter.com/XkzxT9pcKy

https://x.com/Racing/status/1865278234075504932?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1865278234075504932|twgr^e9f256cd7c27c6b5571400cc4c8d5944d0d44246|twcon^s1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.racing.com%2Fnews%2F2024-12-07%2Fnews-review-ballarat-cup-jaylah-kennedy-071224

— Racing.com (@Racing) December 7, 2024

Indeed, he has – the apprentice has been aboard Dan O’Sullivan’s tough-as-nails galloper for all but one run this campaign (last Saturday’s Group 2 Sandown Classic), and the pair clocked up two metro victories along with three other placings.

 

Michael Dee was booked to ride last weekend, but was injured and Luke Nolen took his place, riding Berkeley Square to a gallant third placing from a long way back.

 

It was actually Nolen’s suggestion to back-up into the Ballarat, but after a horrific fall at Geelong on Thursday left him indisposed, Kennedy was next in line.

 

She only received this news on Friday – not long before O’Sullivan confirmed it on TV, in fact – but far from triggering any nerves, she was simply thrilled to reunite with Berkeley Square.

 

“Once I found he (Luke) wasn’t in such a great way, I thought there might be a chance I’d be able to get on him,” she said.

 

“It was a full-field and there weren’t too many options of jockeys, and obviously I’d ridden him all preparation.

 

“To tell the truth, I got the phone call saying I was on him about 10 minutes before Dan went on racing.com last night and told everybody.

 

“It was some pretty nice news, and I slept pretty well last night knowing I was on the right horse for today.”

 

The race itself worked out perfectly – though strung up between runners on the bend, Kennedy had Berkeley Square working through his gears, and took a narrow gap right at the top of the straight.

 

Globe ($10) and Lady In Pink ($12) looked to have stolen the $500,000 feature from the front, but Berkeley Square and Kennedy were sailing down the outside.

 

There was still plenty of work to do at the 150-metre mark, but the pair seemed almost destined to make up the ground required and did so with half a length to spare.

 

The Ballarat local has done it! 🏆

 

Berkeley Square storms home to win the Ballarat Cup on the line! 😤@DOSullivanRace pic.twitter.com/BpfxvMIRPO

 

— Racing.com (@Racing) December 7, 2024

But the finish belies some of the work Berkeley Square did earlier in the race, as Kennedy explained when dissecting her ride.

 

“I just wanted to begin as good as I could. I didn't want to be giving them any sort of ground from the gates,” she said.

 

“He jumped well, there was obviously good speed, which I anticipated. I was happy enough with how things were unfolding, sort of in the first furlong.

 

“I saw the favourite there out on a limb, three wide… I probably was a little bit of a pest I would say, to him, and I really made him work and stay out there.

 

“I just knew I had the horse underneath me to be able to give him a squeeze and dig up there.”

 

“When I wanted him to come back, he’d come straight back to me, and that's what he did, and from then on, we followed the right horses, the gap opened up, and God, he's just so good over 2,000.”

 

It was a just reward for the 23-year-old, who had been shedding weight to ride last start city winner Bellinger again (allotted just 51kgs after Kennedy’s two-kilogram claim), only to see him scratched.

 

A natural lightweight, the Kiwi expat didn’t have to do too much work to reach her goal – and it’s a good thing too, with her requiring every ounce of her strength to lift Berkeley Square late.

 

“I’m pretty lucky, I didn’t have to do too much work, I just cut back on the exercise and cut back on a few sugary treats,” she said.

 

“But I had plenty of energy today, and we needed it.”

 

From nearly leaving Australia several years ago, to finally getting her jockey licence, and now winning her hometown Cup – even without getting into details, it has been a whirlwind period for Kennedy.

 

And somewhat lost in the celebrations, was the fact that the triumph was her 100th in the saddle.

 

“I forgot all about that, until I was standing there (in the trophy presentation), and I thought, ‘shit, that was win 100’,” she said.

 

“What a race to do it in. I’m so proud of the horse, and the whole team – honestly, I’m pretty speechless.”

https://x.com/Racing/status/1865276698201039297?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1865276698201039297|twgr^e9f256cd7c27c6b5571400cc4c8d5944d0d44246|twcon^s1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.racing.com%2Fnews%2F2024-12-07%2Fnews-review-ballarat-cup-jaylah-kennedy-071224

 

[Chief Stipe]

4 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

“I saw the favourite there out on a limb, three wide… I probably was a little bit of a pest I would say, to him, and I really made him work and stay out there.

 

“I just knew I had the horse underneath me to be able to give him a squeeze and dig up there.”

 

“When I wanted him to come back, he’d come straight back to me, and that's what he did, and from then on, we followed the right horses, the gap opened up, and God, he's just so good over 2,000.”

Smart girl kept Craig Williams out on a limb on the favourite.  Smart thinking and confidence.