With Jim Chung’s two-kilogram claim reducing his weight to 57.5kg, Bradman will attempt to break a year-long absence from the winners’ circle in the MJH Engineering Limited Whyte Handicap (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday.
The Pins gelding has won eight races and more than $317,000 in stakes, but has endured a frustrating run through the last 13 months. Since his last victory in a 1400m open handicap at Trentham in May of last year, Bradman has run second in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m), fourth in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m), third in a three-way photo finish in the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m), second under 60kg in the Masterton Cup (1400m), fourth in the Listed Rangitikei Cup (1600m), third in the 2025 edition of the AGC Training Stakes, and a last-start second at Wanganui when he was giving 4kg to the winner Belles Beau.
Bergerson is proud of the seven-year-old’s performances, often under hefty imposts.
“He’s been so consistent,” the Awapuni trainer said. “He’s racing in good form again this time in and is just a really honest horse who tries his best every time. It’s just a shame that his rating means he ends up carrying 60kg in so many of his races.
“We can claim a couple off tomorrow, so hopefully that’ll help him. It looks like a suitable race for him.”
Two weeks on from Bradman’s runner-up finish over 1340m at Wanganui, Bergerson expects the step up to 1600m at Trentham to suit.
“We haven’t done much with him in between times,” he said. “It’s just a matter of keeping him ticking over. He goes to the beach and does a little bit of jumping here and there. These older geldings can get a bit cunning, so it’s good to mix things up and keep it interesting for him.
“I think he’s a better horse at a mile than 1400m, so he’ll appreciate that distance this weekend. With that in mind, I’m not sure whether we’ll drop back to 1400m for another crack at the Opunake Cup next month. He might find a few of the others a little bit sharp over 1400m.
“We’ll get through this one before making a decision on that. We may end up just giving him a trial somewhere in between times, trying a gear change and then going straight to Christchurch for the Winter Cup. That’s the main goal.”
Bergerson and Chung will also team up with Farravallo in Saturday’s Bill Tito Book Repair Specialist North Island Challenge Stakes (1200m). The four-year-old son of Belardo was a last-start fifth at Wanganui on June 14.
“I was a bit disappointed with that performance, but he did end up stuck in the worst part of the track,” Bergerson said.
“He was a bit slower to leave the gates than I expected. He usually flies the gates and can get to the lead. Hopefully he can get away a bit quicker again tomorrow, find his way to the front in a small field and be the first into the straight so he can get to the better ground.”