QUEENSLAND trainer Billy Healey will have his first NSW provincial starter at Hawkesbury on Thursday with his latest member of a family he knows very well.
Sunshine Coast-based Healey was greeted by much cooler weather than at home when he arrived in Sydney on Tuesday evening to launch the career of his unraced three-year-old Benzou in The Lawn Shed Super Maiden Handicap (1000m).
Rachel King will ride the Zousain gelding, who fetched $90,000 at last year’s Inglis Classic yearling sale.
“I’ve got the first three foals of Benzou’s dam Benella (by Not A Single Doubt) and tried to buy the fourth at the same Classic sale earlier this year, but Gai (Waterhouse) beat me,” Healey said.
“Benzou’s younger sister (Bellazaine) brought $160,000 and made her debut in the Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick last Saturday (she finished seventh as a $10 chance to Bel Merci).”
Healey trains Benzou’s older half-brothers Chikara and King Yoshi (both by Supido) and has won five races with them.
“We’ve always had a good opinion of Benzou, and I feel he’s the best of our three,” Healey said.
“Everyone who has ridden him believe he has above average ability.
“Benzou could have kicked off at home in a Friday night Maiden, but the prizemoney for the Hawkesbury race is nearly double, and he’s also a BOBS (bonus) horse.
“We’ve thrown him in the deep end and he has drawn awkwardly, so his performance on Thursday will tell us where we are at with him.
“Provided he runs well, there’s a nice Inglis Bonus race back at Hawkesbury in a fortnight.”
Nice indeed if Benzou races well enough first-up (without winning) to continue on to another $60,000 Super Maiden Handicap (1000m) on October 24.
There’s a $100,000 bonus to go with the $28,400 first prize for eligible Inglis graduates (which Benzou is) as part of the Inglis Xtra Bonus series for maidens.
Healey, who began training in 2018 and has prepared 107 winners, including eight already in this new season, makes regular forays across the border to Northern Rivers tracks.
His latest was at Ballina last Sunday where he landed a Benchmark 66 Handicap (1300m) with $3.80 favorite Orphan’s Trust.
“I’ve had a couple of runners on the Kensington track and another at Canterbury without winning, and Benzou is my first at the provincials,” Healey said.
Benzou, with Robbie Dolan aboard, ran a close third in a Doomben Maiden (1000m) trial on September 24 in preparation for his debut.
Coincidentally, that will be a day short of three years since he was foaled on October 11, 2021.
TAB.com.au market assessors on Wednesday morning had the Queensland newcomer on the fourth line of betting at $7.50 behind Circle Of Love ($4), Rainbow Goddess ($4.80) and first emergency Tequila Baby ($5).
Circle Of Love (Tom Sherry), an Exceed and Excel filly, also is making her debut for Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald, and has trialled well twice recently at Warwick Farm.
A $235,000 yearling buy, she was just beaten over 791m on September 13 and then scored comfortably over 811m on heavy ground 17 days later.
The Neasham/Archibald duo has trained four winners at Hawkesbury so far this season along with Michael Freedman, with leading local Brad Widdup (five winners) showing the way.
Jay Ford (5) and Tyler Schiller (4), though only the former is riding at Hawkesbury on Thursday, head up the jockeys’ premiership.
RacingNSW stewards have approved jockey Keagan Latham riding three horses 0.5kg overweight.
They are Just Feelin’ Lucky (NSW Mental Health Awareness Month Maiden Handicap, 1300m), Noble Ruby (Healing Heroes Provincial Maiden Plate, 1100m), and More Voltage (XXXX Gold Midway Class 1 Handicap, 1600m).
Just Feeling’ Lucky and Noble Ruby are currently emergencies for their respective races.
. The rail is 2m out from the 1100m to the winning post, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit. Course manager Kyle Cassim at 8am Wednesday posted a “Good 4” rating, with a penetrometer reading of 4.9. Only 1.5mm of rain has been recorded in the past seven days up to that time, and 13mm of irrigation has been put on the track in the same period, but nil in the last 24 hours.
The eight-race program begins at 1.15pm.
Story John Curtis, October 9, 2024
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