Vinery Stud's All Too Hard built on his excellent start to the new season on Saturday with his top-class son Behemoth earning a well-deserved win in the Listed Penny Edition Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks, while over at Caulfield, Hawkes Racing's Dawn Dawn made the trip down from the Sydney stable count with a dominant performance in the Nitto Denko Handicap.
It was a belated first stakes success for Behemoth who was nosed out of the Group 1 Goodwood in May before returning from a break to be runner-up in the Listed Lightning Stakes at Morphettville then finishing fourth in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield.
It could quite as easily have gone pear-shaped again for Behemoth in the Penny Edition Stakes. When the pace slackened midrace, jockey Todd Pannell was obliged to ease out three-wide on Behemoth who was in danger of running on to heels.
It was tough slog in the straight to get past a stubborn Amberdi (Ambidexter) who only yielded in the final few strides to go down by a half-head.
The unlucky runner of the race was the heavily backed Waging War.
Raquel Clark was desperately seeking a way out on the son of Rebel Rader who only saw clear air in the closing stages to be beaten three-quarters of a length.
Pannell said Behemoth deserved the win.
"It wasn't pretty midrace when the pace slackened off too quick for him," Pannell said.
"He was in a good rhythm early he is a big-striding horse and I was happy to be in that spot but when the pace slackened he ran on to their heels and I ended up deep from then on and it was back to plan B.
"He got off the bridle before the home turn and was under a bit of pressure, I was hoping he would find another gear but that last fifty was hard work."
A bargain
basement $6,000 purchase by Grand Syndicates out of the Riversdale draft at the
2017 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, Behemoth (pictured as a yearling ) advances his record to 3
wins and 4 seconds from 10 starts with earnings of $322,395.
The son of All Too Hard had previously made $120,000 at the 2016 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale.
Trainer David Jolly said he would set the four-year-old for the $7.5m Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens on November 2 but will look at stakes races in Melbourne in the near future.
Bred by Wallings Bloodstock, Behemoth is the fourth foal and second winner of the stakes-winning Zedrich mare Penny Banger a half-sister to the Listed stakes-winner and Group 1 WATC Derby third Master Minx (Surtee).
A Scissor Kick filly out of Penny Banger was knocked down to Dalziel Bloodstock / Peter Moody Racing / Mitch Freedman Racing for $85,000 at this year's Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Behemoth becomes the ninth stakes-winner for All Too Hard and the five-year-old mare Dawn Dawn may be the one to take him to double figures.
Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said only bad luck has stopped her from achieving the feat already, having finished full of running with nowhere to go in a Group III at Caulfield last October.
"She either wins or has no luck, there's little in between," Hawkes said.
"She's done a good job today. She was three wide and faced the breeze the whole way which is never easy to do.
"She's stakes class, but we'll just poke along with her, but I'm pretty happy with a little race at Caulfield for her."
With 21 winners in the first few weeks of the season, All Too Hard has just I Am Invincible ahead of him on that score.
