Kingswood On Caulfield Cup Trail

Group 1 winner Kingswood is being prepared for another attempt at the Caulfield Cup, with trainer Gavin Bedggood plotting a spring campaign designed to have the talented import reaching his peak over longer distances. The son of Roaring Lion returned to public view with an encouraging Pakenham Synthetic jumpout earlier this month, working strongly through the line behind Sheza Alibi as he builds towards his first start of the preparation. Kingswood is nominated for both the Gr1 Caulfield Cup and Gr1 Cox Plate, although the former increasingly shapes as the principal target for a horse whose Australian and New Zealand performances have demonstrated his effectiveness from 1800m through to 2000m and beyond. His breakthrough at the highest level came in the Gr1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie last December, when he defeated Jaarffi and Legarto over 2000m. He subsequently finished a close second to Legarto in February’s Gr1 Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa.  Those performances transformed Kingswood from a talented handicapper into a genuine weight-for-age prospect. The Heatherlie Stakes at Caulfield has been flagged as a likely spring starting point, giving Bedggood the opportunity to gradually increase the horse’s distances ahead of the major October assignments. Recent jumpout analyst Warren Huntly’s colleague David Ingram was particularly taken by Kingswood’s Pakenham hit-out, telling Racing.com the entire continues to appeal as a horse capable of improving as he matures. “I think he’s a really good racehorse,” Ingram said. “I love the way he sticks his neck out and tries.” Bedggood has long held Kingswood in exceptional regard. Even before his Group 1 breakthrough, the trainer described him as potentially the best horse in his stable and suggested there remained considerable untapped ability in the European import.  Kingswood’s pedigree offers every encouragement for a Caulfield Cup preparation. By champion European three-year-old Roaring Lion from the Sea The Stars mare All At Sea, stamina is strongly represented on both sides. He also gained valuable Caulfield Cup experience last spring, finishing fourth in the 2025 renewal after continuing to develop through the campaign. The task this year is therefore less about discovering whether Kingswood belongs in elite company than determining how high his ceiling might ultimately be. With elitesuccess already secured and another strong New Zealand campaign behind him, Bedggood now has the luxury of preparing a proven top-level performer specifically for Melbourne’s spring majors. The opening chapters will be about conditioning; the real examination comes when Kingswood reaches the distances for which he appears increasingly suited.