The $240,000 Listed Wyong Gold Cup (2100m) on Friday produced a first Black Type win for blueblood stayer Benaud, a half-brother to not one but two Group I winners.
The John O’Shea trained five year-old gelding was second to Hitotsu in the Group I ATC Australian Derby at three, but the son of Reliable Man (Fr) has not quite lived up to that form since then despite placing and running well in some very nice races.
A nasty fall at the 800m mark at Wyong threw the race into chaos with The Mediterranean going amiss and dislodging his rider Regan Bayliss which produced a chain reaction involving five other runners.
Racing NSW advised that all riders were conscious after the incident with Tim Clark complaining of pain to his back, Regan Bayliss suffering from pain to his leg while Brett Prebble appeared to have escaped injury. The Mediterranean was euthanised but all other horses appear to have avoided any serious injury.
Benaud and Dylan Gibbons managed to avoid the drama and scored a half length win taking his overall record to three wins and four placings from 22 starts with prizemoney topping $726,000.
A $280,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase from the Valachi Downs draft for John O'Shea Racing / Laurel Oak Bloodstock, Benaud is a half-brother to four time Group I winner Tofane and last season’s Group I ATC The Metropolitan winner No Compromise. If he ever gets his mojo together in the right race, he could easily bring up the hat-trick of G1 winners for his dam!
Tofane was bought last year by Yulong for $3.1million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and is expecting her first foal by Written Tycoon, while Baggy Green is also in Yulong ownership having been bought by them for $1.75million at the Valachi Downs Dispersal on Gavelhouse last year in New Zealand.
Benaud has a seriously deep pedigree as his dam Baggy Green is a half-sister to Group I winning mares Youngstar and Funstar, who are at stud in Japan and had their first foals sell at the JRHA Sale this year.
Benaud is the 23rd stakes-winner for Reliable Man, who stands at Westbury Stud at a fee of $13,500.
