Trainer Gavin Bedggood and jockey Jett Stanley after winning the 2026 bet365 Seymour Cup with Wymark. Photos: Brett Holburt/Racing Photos.
Photo by
Brett Holburt
Wymark has taken out the $200,000 2026 bet365 Seymour Cup to continue his brilliant form on the country cup scene, thrilling punters on a well-attended day at Seymour Racing Club on Sunday.
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It took a brilliant ride from jockey Jett Stanley to deliver the win for trainer Gavin Bedggood, with the 22-year-old hoop executing his race to perfection to ensure the six-year-old gelding from New Zealand adds the Listed Seymour Cup to triumphs in both the Yarra Valley Cup and the Stawell Cup in March and April this year.
“Gav and his whole entire team have done a great job with this horse,” Stanley told Racing.com post-race.
“He’s a pure country cup horse, he’s done so many of them, and to tick (another) one off is quite good.
“Everything went to plan, which is why I was a little bit more excited over the line than anything, and also this time of the year, getting a stakes winner with all the big dogs in town to put myself out there is a great feeling as well.”
With the rail moved back 8m to true position and the track rated a soft 5, Stanley eased Wymark into the midpack after jumping well, settling four off the rail and alongside both the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Storm Leopard and the Ciaron Maher-trained Detonator Jack, who entered the race as the two favourites.
Wymark, ridden by jockey Jett Stanley, passes the post to claim victory in the 2026 bet365 Seymour Cup on Sunday at Seymour Racing Club.
Photo by
Brett Holburt
Holding position until the 400m mark as the field turned for home, Stanley steered Wymark to be the furthest out from the fence, before unleashing a brilliant turn of foot to reel in leader Lim’s Saltoro, who eventually finished third, while also edging out fast-finisher Magnaspin by a third of a length to claim victory over the 1600m trip.
“Everything was picture-perfect, to be 100 per cent honest,” Stanley said of his ride.
“Every furlong we went to, every manoeuvre that was being changed in the run was just benefiting us.
“Then coming round the corner, when he did start to travel up underneath me and I knew he could sustain it for so long, I knew I was the winner a long way out.
“The only question was if he was going to find anything, all he had to do was find a length, and that’s what he did. He’s a true horse that can sustain a run for a long time.
“But to keep quickening and building like he did then, he’s just going to go on to bigger and better things, and further distance races, and really show everyone what he’s got.”
While Stanley had high praise for the horse, Bedggood shared a similar sentiment about Stanley himself after the race, lauding his jockey for a perfect ride.
“I’ve had a lot of luck with Jett and I could probably count his bad rides on one hand,” he said to Racing.com
“He rides them how I ask, and you can’t ask for any more than that.”
Bedggood also admitted there was a quiet confidence heading to the track pre-race, with Wymark having been paired with stablemate Kingswood — a Group 1 Caulfield Cup runner this Saturday — over the past few weeks, where he has impressed.
“He’s actually been Kingswood’s gallop partner for the last few weeks, and we thought his work over at (Cranbourne) on Tuesday morning was every bit as good as him, but I still thought he was one run away looking at him,” he said.
“That will have him peaking for that 1800-metre race on Melbourne Cup day.
“Jett executed the plan well. We didn’t want to be any closer than three off the fence. It was a good win.”
Across the rest of the day’s races, trainer Reece Goodwin picked up a win in race one with Handsome Missile, as did Cindy Alderson in race two with Valaroso, while Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr saluted with Real Comedy in race three.
Terrotorian was first past the post in race four over 2000m for trainer Nick Ryan, while Salsita clinched the win in race five by a nose to earn victory for Emma-Lee and David Browne.
Anthony and Sam Freedman had success with Parcae in race six, as did John Saddler with Befuddle in race seven, while the Ciaron Maher-trained Educated was victorious in race eight, and Lofty Thoughts capped the day’s racing with victory for Alex Rae in race 10.
