Ledger winds back the clock with promising homebred Ultimate Edition
Cup day three-year-old feature an audition for autumn Group 1s for son of Helmet
John Ledger became accustomed to being a regular fixture at the Melbourne carnivals, regularly competing in Group races in the 1990s and early 2000s, but for the veteran Wangaratta trainer he has been waking up every morning for 15 years waiting for his next good horse to come along.
He believes lightly–raced three-year-old Ultimate Edition (Helmet), who runs in tomorrow’s TAB Trophy (registered as Connoisseur Stakes) (Listed, 1800m), is just the one to put the Ledger name back in the spotlight.
The three-year-old Listed race, previously held on VRC Oaks day, will be a more than interesting sideline to the day’s main event, the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m), with Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War) winning it in 2018 and dual Group 1 winner Russian Camelot (Camelot) emerging from last year’s race when runner-up.
Homebred Ultimate Edition, who is bred to be a sprinter, won his maiden at Bendigo on October 7 by a commanding five and a half lengths, a performance which saw him start $2.50 favourite in the Geelong Classic (Listed, 2200m) but the gelding tired to finish sixth.
Ledger subsequently abandoned Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) plans for Ultimate Edition but is confident about the prospects of the gelding in the 1800-metre race.
“The Derby had been the target from day one, even though he’s out of a sprinting Keltrice mare, he’s always looked like a stayer. In his jump–outs he was back and strong coming home. He looked like he’d stay all day,” Ledger told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“We did the work to run in the Derby until we had to pull the pin about three days out when I had to make the final decision. I talked it over with (my sons) Chris and Brad and thought, ‘he’s too immature and he won’t settle in the Derby’ and we’d only end up disappointing ourselves and we want a horse to race on at four, five and six.
“If we wanted longevity, we decided not to run in the Derby, so that was our plan.”
Once that decision was made, the Connoisseur Stakes became a significant back-up option for Ultimate Edition and Ledger is confident the gelding, to be ridden by Mark Zahra, can win the race.
“It’s a lovely race for horses people don’t want to stretch out to the Derby distance and who are probably not ready at this point of their career for the Carbine Club. It just fits into everyone’s training program perfectly,” he said.
“The favourite’s (Ain’tnodeeldun) done the job. He won at Sale by five and won a weak race in Adelaide. He deserves to be favourite, but if our horse turns up, I am not really worried about the opposition.
“If he settles, he wins. If he doesn’t, we won’t. It’s pretty simple. They won’t out gallop him – he will only beat himself.”
If Ultimate Edition lives up to Ledger’s expectations, Group 1 races loom large for the three-year-old during the autumn, particularly the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
“If he wins tomorrow, then I take him to the highest level I can take him to. I had Largo Lad in the (Australian) Guineas and Brad Rawiller rode him but he ran into a couple of backsides. He finished fifth or sixth and wasn’t far off them,” Ledger recalled.
“He’s a lot sharper than Largo Lad, who was a pretty good horse, but this one is better at this stage, that’s for sure.
“He’s a lovely, clean-winded horse with a good heart rate and recovery. He’s relaxed and he’d just bowl around and then pick up the bridle and sprint home.
“You put him in an 800, 900-metre jump–out and they would burn him off, but on the line he’d be the best performance.
“Next year, I will probably concentrate more on 1600 to 2000 metres. At this point, I don’t think I should be going past 2000 with him.”
Largo Lad (Encosta De Lago) ran fifth in the 2008 Australian Guineas, beaten just one length by Light Fantastic (Danehill Dancer).
Officially training in partnership with son Chris, the emergence of Ultimate Edition has reinvigorated the experienced horseman.
“It’s been many years since we’ve had a horse like him. I had a lot of good horses around 2000, then Largo Lad came along and I had him sold from underneath me,” he said.
“I had a lot of good horses, Group 2 and Group 3 horses. Brave Chief was a ripping Group 2 and Group 3 horse but he unfortunately had to race against the superstars if he ever went up to the Group 1s, which I tried a couple of times with him. Sunline and Northerly were a class above him.“
All these years later to finally get one walk in the door again, it’s satisfying. I’ve been getting up every morning for the past ten, 15 years looking for him. We’ve been working hard, I can tell you.