Emotions were flowing at Morphettville as the favourite Benagil, previously trained in partnership between Michael Moroney and Glen Thompson, was simply too classy for her rivals, winning the $1m Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m).
Off the back of a second placing in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes behind Treaurethe Moment (Alabama Express) last time out, it was no surprise to see the daughter on Manhattan Rain started the punter’s elect in the Oaks.
Trained solely by Thompson after the recent passing of Moroney, Benagil had beaten Athanatos (I Am Immortal) two starts back in the $500,000 VOBIS Guineas at Caulfield, with the runner up winning the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes just three races prior on the same card.
Settling with only a handful of runners behind her in the run, jockey Mark Zahra clearly knew the capabilities of the filly as he was content to stay wide and back before making his run. As the field headed into the home straight and Too Darn Lizzie (Too Darn Hot) was starting to fade, Benagil was the widest on the turn, cruising up to the leaders with ease at the 300m mark.
Extending away from the field with 200m to run, Benagil never looked in any doubt as Zahra eased her down close to the line. Coming from a mid-field position, the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young trained Sweltering (Too Darn Hot) nabbed second as the outsider of the field, just ahead of John O'Shea and Tom Charlton’s Polymnia (Dundeel) who had started the second favourite.
Victoria's Stonehouse Thoroughbreds will offer a Farnan half-sister to Sweltering as Lot 192 at Sunday's Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale.
Although adding last weekened's Listed Mornington Cup winner to his training resume, the elite level success of this filly was surely a career highlight for Thompson.
“It’s been a tough few weeks, but I just tried to focus on today,” Thompson said.
“We just got her here in as good an order as we could, I thought she was spot-on today, and she races like it.
“Phil Campbell, he’s the owner, he bred her and Richard (Byrnes) one of the other owners, it’s great to have them here.
“She’s just gone to another level this time.”
With this race always on her agenda, even after her Group 1 second in Sydney, Thompson said it was the race selected by Moroney some three months prior.
“It was always the plan to come here from a long way out,” Thompson said.
“She went to Sydney and ran so well, and there was a little bit of pressure to stay in Sydney and run in the Oaks, but look, this was a much better option for her.
“It looked like she proved us right today… it was good to get Mark on, he’s one of the best in the land.”
The first foal to race out of the War mare Des Monies, who has a rising two-year-old by King’s Legacy, and is due to foal to Swettenham Stud’s Rubick, Benagil is one of 19 stakes winners for Geisel Park Stud’s Encosta de Lago stallion Manhattan Rain.
Racing in the silks of Philip Campbell who also co-bred the filly, Benagil joins Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign and South Africa’s Sun Met winner Whisky Baron as the third individual Group 1 winner for her sire.
