Bennetta’s fourth start finally produced the result her trainer Grahame Begg had been waiting for with the filly delivering a win at Canterbury on Saturday.
Her debut fifth in July was shrouded in controversy with her jockey Daniel Ganderton outed for two months for his handling of Bennetta.
Bennetta - Photo by Steve Hart
She was spelled after she finished fifth again and returned with a second at Rosehill two weeks ago.
Such is Begg’s opinion of Bennetta he opted to run her in the Benchmark 75 (1250m) rather than an easier race.
Bennetta ($5.50) handled the assignment with aplomb, overhauling favourite She’s A Stalker ($3.20) in the run home to win by 2-1/4 lengths.
“It wasn’t easy today but I had a lot of faith in her,” Begg said.
“I stepped her up to a benchmark instead of a maiden. There is a certain amount of quality about her.”
That quality will be put to the test in the autumn with the trainer saying the Group Two Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) on February 16 was a carnival starting point.
“I think she is so relaxed she could even get up to 1500 metres so, who knows, perhaps she could get to the (Group One) Coolmore.”
She’s A Stalker’s cheque took her earnings to $115,950 and closer to a start in the $1 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 12.
The filly won the $100,000 three-year-old race on Wyong Millions day but that did not gain her automatic entry to the Gold Coast.
Trainer Angela Davies believed it should be a qualifier and was compelled to run her at Canterbury with the filly 17th in ballot order for the 16-horse field before Saturday’s racing.
“I hope this gets her in now,” Davies said.
“There’s a 1300-metre race for fillies and mares on the same day so we’ll nominate for that race just in case.”
The disappointment of Saturday’s race was the heavily supported debutante Spring’s Reward ($4.60 to $3.60) who was always well back after missing the start and beat just one runner home.
