South Australian racing giant Behemoth bolstered his All-Star Mile chances with a dominant Durbridge Stakes win at Morphettville on Saturday.
It was an easy watch for punters prepared to take the short odds on offer as the big boy landed in a perfect trail over the 1100m trip before racing away from Kemalpasa to record a three-length win.
“It was a good watch,” trainer David Jolly said post-race.
“He jumped well and relaxed in the run. Kemalpasa got a little bit of heat and once we got to the one-one, it was an easy watch after that.”
Behemoth has now won four of his past five starts and is just over 400 votes behind Arcadia Queen in All-Star Mile voting, with connections offering one voter the chance to win a 2.5 per cent share in the horse in the $5 million feature.
He now heads back to Caulfield, the scene of his two Group 1 wins in the Sir Rupert Clarke and Memsie Stakes last spring.
“He’ll go to the Futurity in three weeks,” Jolly said.
“The Orr is next week, we originally were going that way but decided this (Durbridge) was a better option and then go to the All-Star Mile after that.”
And the trainer indicated nothing was set in stone beyond the All-Star Mile, with his preference to give the horse a decent break and aim up for another big Melbourne Spring Carnival in 2021.
Behemoth’s win was the icing on a big day for jockey Todd Pannell, who rode four winners on the nine-race card.
“It’s just good to sit on a horse like that,” Pannell said.
“He’s an exceptional horse; he’s really grown and matured in a nice horse.
“It was exceptional to run good time like he did.”
Along with Behemoth, Pannell partnered three Victorian horses to victory: Medieval Miss for Patrick Payne, Soul Obsession for the Freedman stable and Black Sail for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
It helped him get within five wins of Jessica Eaton on the Adelaide riders’ premiership after she kick-started her day in style, winning aboard Michael Hickmott’s promising filly Echoes In Eternity, who remains unbeaten since returning from a spell.
In Melbourne on Saturday promising Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained mare Silent Sovereign kicked off her 2021 campaign in style, winning over 1400m.
First-up since running second behind Realm Of Flowers in the Group 3 SA Fillies Classic at Morphettville in May, Silent Sovereign sat off the speed before proving too strong late and looks set for a big preparation.
And local horseman Shane Oxlade celebrated a hometown win at Strathalbyn yesterday when class mare Eperdument returned to her best form winning the $52,250 Strathalbyn Cup.
Oxlade said the well-performed mare, who contested last year’s Adelaide Cup, had given him his share of headaches throughout the campaign as she struggled to regain her form of last year when she won the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes.
“She’s been a bit disappointing,” Oxlade said post-race.
“I freshened her up. I was a bit disappointed with her (last start) at the (Murray) Bridge and I was a bit lost to where we were with her.”
Oxlade said it wasn’t his first preference to run in the Strathalbyn Cup, but her lack of form and his desire to chase another Adelaide Cup start meant he had to get her back winning.
“I wouldn’t have been here if I had a choice,” Oxlade said.
“I’ll probably have to go to the Birthday Cup next week and then the 2600m (Lord Reims) a fortnight later.
“Today was the day something had to happen.”