Bennetta has not recorded a race win for almost 18 months, but trainer Graeme Begg is happy with the talented mare heading into the 2014 Toy Show Quality at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Bennetta is chasing her first race win since she took out the Light Finger Stakes in February last year. Photo by: Steve Hart
Bennetta was sent for a brief stint in the spelling paddock after she finished second behind Generalife in the Listed Civic Stakes (1350m) at Rosehill Gardens on July 5 and was primed for the Toy Show Quality with an impressive second behind Valentia in a barrier trial over 840 metres at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Begg told Racing Ahead that Bennetta had taken plenty of benefit from her ten days away from the stable and the Randwick-based trainer believes that the General Nediym mare gets into the Toy Show Quality well in the weights, with 55 kilograms on her back.
“She is coming off a run behind Generalife in the Civic Stakes, so she should be able to hold some residual fitness,” Begg said.
“We gave her ten days in the paddock after that and she has come back and had a nice trial in the same heat that Tiger Tees was in two weeks ago at Randwick.
“She has trained on well and we think that she is better on top of the ground, but she has been placed on heavy before.
“We think that she also comes in very well in the quality handicap conditions, being on over the limit.
“She is in good shape.”
Bennetta was given an opportunity over 1500 metres during the 2013 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, but Begg said that he will keep the five-year-old exclusively in sprinting events during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival; with the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 13 and the Group 3 Golden Pendant (1400m) at the same venue on September 27 both on the agenda for the Group 2 winning mare.
“I think that 1300 pulls her up and that is her right distance,” Begg said.
“Anything further than 1300 metres she just seems to grind away a little bit and she does have a real sort of sprinting pedigree.
“I think that we will just keep her around that mark over 1300 or 1400 and that is about it.”
Bennetta is available at 2014 Toy Show Quality odds of $12; with Gypsy Diamond ($4) currently favourite from the well-backed Lucia Valentina ($5), Diamond Drille ($6.50) and Dear Demi ($8.50).
