The Sapphire Coast Turf Club celebrated a successful Bega Cup Carnival over the weekend with thousands of locals and visitors getting trackside.
More than $500,000 in prizemoney was up for grabs across the two days of racing in Kalaru on Saturday and Sunday.
Local trainers, Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones took out a treble on Bega Cup Day with wins for ZELAGO, I’M A STEEL and BLOOD TIES.
Having won the last three editions of the Bega Cup, the Joseph-Jones stable almost made it four straight Cups with ONE AYE finishing fourth with a solid run behind PRINCE AURELIUS in third, race favourite CREAM RISES in second, and the Paul Murray-trained WINNING POINT flashing home late to win at a price of $18.
It looked although the Mitchell Beer-trained favourite would do as many expected and run over the top of the field which he six-year-old gelding did but after sitting midfield for most of the 1600m feature reace, WINNING POINT swept down the outside at the perfect time guided by jockey, Jean Van Overmeire, to win the $80,000 Bega Cheese Bega Cup.
Winning Point wins the 2024 Bega Cup at double figures!@jeanvovermeire pic.twitter.com/hIYLOlNe5Y
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 4, 2024
The result means WINNING POINT gains entry into the $3 million Big Dance at Randwick later this year.
In an interview with Sky Racing following the win, Kembla Grange trainer Paul Murray wiped away tears and was nearly lost for words.
“It was bloody really good,” Murray said.
“We’ve been struggling a bit, but we’re getting back on track,” he smiled.
“That’s what we are after and that race (Big Dance) at the end of the year. We’ll just take her home and give her another run or two, and we’ve got to get ready for this big race now, which is the main thing.”
Sapphire Coast Turf Club CEO, Rob Tweedy, said after a great weekend, the club will look forward to the 150th Bega Cup.
“This year was the 149th running of the Bega Cup so next year we’ll plan some big celebrations for the 150th Bega Cup, so it will be great to do that in 2025,”
“It’s a long-standing cup, a lot of history in the district racing that long, and it’s around that Melbourne-Cup timeframe which is amazing.”
Image: Sky Racing, Sapphire Coast Turf Club
