Berdibek sometimes needs things to go his way to win, but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying a consistent career heading into the $175,000 Ipswich Cup on Saturday.
It is also why he is one of the stable’s favourite runners and rated a $6.50 winning chance with Betfair to take out the annual staying race over 2150m.
“It’ll be a tricky track and he gets back, but he’s got a good chance,” O’Shea’s foreman, Alex Maher, told horsebetting.com.au.
“He’s one of the stable’s favourites, for sure. He’s very honest.”
Eight-year-old veteran Berdibek has enjoyed a good career, with six wins from 33 starts and over $580,000 in prizemoney.
He has not saluted since his Wyong Gold Cup triumph on September 3 last year, but his last start – fifth in the Lord Mayor’s Cup at Eagle Farm on May 28 – impressed the O’Shea stable.
In Good 4 conditions, it was an improvement from his 11th in the Scone Cup on a Heavy 9 on May 13.
There’s no doubt that Berdibek enjoys a good track, with five of his six wins coming in these conditions.
Ipswich Turf Club is currently rated a Soft 5.
But Maher said her stayer would carry confidence from his last start into Saturday.
“It (his run in the Lord Mayor’s Cup) was a good run. He’s the sort of horse who needs a bit of tempo, and he didn’t get that,” she said.
“He can pull a little bit. They need to run along, and he needs to settle and have a few things to go his way.”
There is no shortage of quality in this year’s Ipswich Cup field, with six starters given odds of under $10 to win by the top bookmakers.
“The favourite (Bartholomeu Dias for Annabel Neasham) will be hard to beat, and Chris Anderson’s horse (Ballistic Boy) is in form,” Maher said.
Meanwhile, Maher was impressed with the fight stablemate Maximal showed last start in the $1.2 million Q22 over 2200m last Saturday.
The four-year-old finished fifth and two lengths behind the winner, Numerian for Neasham.
“He didn’t get a lot of luck and had to go back from the barrier,” Maher said.
“He’s still adapting to Australian racing from the UK, but he’s getting there now.”
While O’Shea has not overseen a winner so far this Queensland Carnival, Maximal finished a gallant second – half a length behind Huetor – in the Doomben Cup on May 28.
“It (Queensland Carnival) has been good. We haven’t had a lot of luck with draws and tempo-related races, but it’s been good,” Maher said.
“He (Maximal) will go out now and we’ll target the spring with him.
“(After the Ipswich Cup) Berdibek will maybe target something in Sydney in the coming weeks.”
Berdibek Odd’s For Ipswich Cup
Race 7 – 
#1 Berdibek (5)
8yo Gelding | T: John O’Shea | J: James Orman (59.5kg)
$6.50 with Betfair
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