The $502,250 Group 1 Goodwood at Morphettville in May during the Adelaide Racing Carnival remains a possibility for star SA galloper Behemoth.
Fresh from his brave effort in last weekend’s All-Star Mile, connections are weighing up between the 1200m Morphettville sprint or a big break in the paddock to prepare for another Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign.
“We might go with a cameo appearance in the Goodwood or have a couple of months off ahead of the spring,” trainer David Jolly told RadioTAB’s Racing Active.
“We haven’t set anything in stone.”
Jolly said early indications are the horse had come through the $5m feature in good order after he was brave, running third behind Mugatoo and Russian Camelot on a rain-soaked Moonee Valley track.
“We’re just going to see how he pulls up this week,” Jolly said.
“He seems fine. It was a tough run – it was probably the most testing run of his career.
“There are two or three things we can do. It might be just about doing what’s best by the horse.”
Having been luckless in the past two editions of the Goodwood – narrowly beaten in second spot behind Despatch in 2019 before flashing home from the back to run fourth behind Trekking last year – and the fact he’s such a big horse who takes plenty of work to get back to peak fitness could be crucial in connections eyeing off a third crack at Adelaide’s premier Group 1 feature.
“It’s a race that favours the better horses at weights,” Jolly said.
“He’s been so dominant first-up previously, so those 1200m races at Morphettville on the outer track are appealing.
“And because he’s such a big horse, to let him down… would take him so long to get him back (to peak fitness).
“So that (Goodwood) might be a better option.”
Behemoth was brave leading them up in the All-Star Mile against some of the best horse from across Australia and New Zealand and Jolly knowing the horse can get out over a more ground could potentially open up more doors in the spring.
“I wouldn’t be against it (running at a mile again),” Jolly said.
“It was a bit of a slog fest. His first go at a mile (and) he has probably been beaten by two Cox Plate horses, so you wouldn’t say a mile it out of the question on a better surface.
“I’m not sure he was totally at home. The winner came into his own because of the ground – the conditions probably suited them more than us.
“He wanted to get off the bit on the turn, but he’s never been on a surface like that.”
Behemoth, who was sold for $120,000 as a yearling before Grand Syndicates were able to buy him for just $6000 at the yearling sales, has now earned connections $2.515 million from his 21 starts.