St Lawrence back on top in Murray Bridge Gold Cup

Well-travelled eight-year-old St Lawrence (NZ) (Redwood) has turned back the clock this spring and returned to top form, including his very first black-type success in Saturday’s A$150,000 Listed Carlton Draught Murray Bridge Gold Cup (1600m).

The Redwood gelding was bred in New Zealand and began his career there with a debut victory for Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman in 2022. He was then sold to Australian interests and joined the stable of Ciaron Maher, for whom he won five of his first six starts in 2022 and 2023.

He added another win in the A$750,000 Little Dance (1600m) at Randwick in November of 2024, but then went winless through 15 races over the following 22 months.

Now with Gavin Bedggood, St Lawrence broke that drought with an emphatic two-length win at Flemington on September 12, and on Saturday he stepped up to stakes level and made it two in a row.

St Lawrence was ridden by Noel Callow stayed close to the fence coming around the home turn, kicking hard at the top of the straight and taking command.

Just as the favourite seemed set to win easily, Sir Kingsford (Sir Prancelot) rallied again after looking beaten. He launched a powerful finish and provided a big late scare, but St Lawrence clung on to win in a photo finish.

“Gavin has turned this horse around,” Callow said. “I spoke to Gavin this morning, and he told me to just ride him as he goes, but he’d rather be more positive than negative. He’s often been forced to be negative because of bad draws, but he was able to be more positively ridden at Flemington and he blew them away.

“Coming into this race, I thought that if he turned up and put in a performance like he did at Flemington, he’d win easily. I wasn’t so sure once the rain came, with us drawn on the inside, but I knew after riding in the last race that there wasn’t much wrong with the fence.

“I thought he’d put another couple of lengths on them late in the race, but he was definitely having a bit of a look around and waiting for them. But his number is in the frame, and that’s what counts.”

St Lawrence has now had 37 starts for 10 wins, eight placings and more than A$1.2 million in stakes.

St Lawrence was bred by Gerry Harvey and is by the Westbury Stud stallion Redwood. The gelding is one of six winners from eight foals to race out of the unraced Encosta De Lago mare Bacio Del Vinto, who is also the dam of Group Three winner Marroni (NZ) (Marroni).