Cote Atlantique, ridden by Beau Mertens, storms to the front of the field to win the 2025 Seymour Cup. Photos: Brett Holburt/Racing Photos.
Photo by
Brett Holburt
Ballarat-based trainer Henry Dwyer has continued his rich vein of form, saluting in the 2025 Seymour Cup on Sunday with former Irish galloper Cote Atlantique on a well-attended day at Seymour Racecourse.
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With spring racing in full swing, a huge crowd turned out trackside to witness the $120,000 main event, which Dwyer’s five-year-old gelding, ridden by Beau Merterns, took out by half a length from the Ciaron Maher-trained Saint George.
The impressive win serves as Cote Atlantique’s first on Australian soil after Dwyer purchased him for $720,000 at last year’s Tattersall’s Horses in Training Sale in England and comes just a week after Dwyer tasted Group 1 success in France with sprinter Asfoora triumphing over 1000m at Longchamp, marking a purple patch for the trainer.
In an added layer of emotion, Mertens adds his name to the Seymour Cup honour roll alongside his late father Peter, who won aboard Elkabayo in 2001, delivering a scintillating ride to clinch the cup.
Jumping well, Cote Atlantique pushed up to second as the field set about covering the 1600m trip, settling one off the rail behind early leader El Rocko, who set the pace for much of the distance.
Mertens held position in third as Hard To Cross moved up at the halfway mark, before sliding out to three-wide as the field made the turn with 400m to go, cutting the lead to move level with El Rocko as they made their way down the straight.
El Rocko held a slight advantage with 200m to go, but Mertens urged Cote Atlantique on, hitting the front just inside 100m to go and doing just enough to hold off a flying Saint George, which made massive ground after turning in second last position.
Jockey Beau Mertens and trainer Henry Dwyer after triumphing with Cote Atlantique in the bet365 Seymour Cup.
Photo by
Brett Holburt
“I was lucky enough to sit on this horse just before the start of his prep and I got to trial him,” Mertens told Racing.com following the victory.
“I’ve been happy to stick with him through his prep. He’s a horse that really impressed me, he’s just progressed so well through his whole prep, I think he just keeps improving.
“Today, he stepped out, he felt like a stronger, better horse and I think he’s going to continue to do so.”
It is a sentiment echoed by Dwyer, who said the Seymour Cup had been circled as the first opportunity for Cote Atlantique to win, and the impressive horse delivered.
“He’s been just a beautiful horse all the way through. We’ve really enjoyed having him,” Dwyer said.
“He’s a lovely looking horse, he’s got a great nature to him and we thought he was going to have a tough early preparation because he was going to be running in good races against good horses and we thought this would be his first chance to win a race for the prep.
“Everyone’s a genius in hindsight, I suppose, but we did say the Seymour Cup was his main target in the short term and then probably the Sale Cup after that and then maybe a break, come back for the autumn.
“I reckon he’ll be a really good lightweight chance in some good races in Sydney in the autumn, I’d say, he’s a nice horse.”
In other races, Cranbourne-based trainer Grahame Begg took out the Gravelista October 25 and 26 Maiden Plate with Ludlum in race one, with fellow Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths triumphing in the Godolphin Internship Program 4YO+ Maiden plate with Les Braves in race two.
Race three, the Move to Strike at Lovatsville Maiden plate, was won by Sunlit Serenade, trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, while Shultzy, trained by Geelong-based Pat Cannon, took out race four’s Sejardan at Blue Gum Farm BM66 Handicap.
Gavin Bedggood celebrated a winner in race five, the Go Seymour BM62 Handicap, with Furosshi, the first of two wins in the saddle for Mertens, while David and Coral Feek had a winner with Dane On Tour in the Seymour Toyota F&M Handicap in race six.
Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman tasted success in race seven as Actuality took out the Seymour Park BM74 Handicap, while Reece Goodwin saluted in the final race of the day, with Lovelycut first past the post in the National Thoroughbreds Week BM70 Handicap.
Racegoers only have to wait a month for more on-track action at Seymour, with the next race meet, the United Insurance Group Day, scheduled for Thursday, November 13.
