News

Beneteau sails into reckoning for Diamond

27th Jan 2010

Sydney Morning Herald - Chris Roots - Wednesday, 27 January 2009

THERE is still a lot to learn for million-dollar baby Beneteau, but the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper are on the agenda after an impressive debut at Randwick yesterday.

Raw ability took Beneteau to victory at his first start in the Kurnell Maiden Plate, and jockey Daniel Ganderton was left in no doubt the colt could measure up against the best two-year-olds going around.

''He's all class,'' Ganderton said of the son of Redoute's Choice. ''He's got a lovely nature and plenty of presence and, gee, he has a motor as well. The penny still hasn't dropped with him and whether the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper come a bit quickly for him is the only worry. He is going to be a very exciting horse when he puts it all together. The breed usually get better with blinkers so we still have that up our sleeve.''

Beneteau lived up to his two impressive barrier trials and broke the class record despite racing a little greenly in the straight and Ganderton easing him down on the line.

The colt looked worth every bit of his $1 million price tag at last year's Easter Sales as he speared to the line to win by 2¾ lengths from Georgette Silk with Bart Cummings' filly Dreamcoat finishing third, a neck away.

Trainer Paul Messara will make a decision whether to chase the Blue Diamond with Beneteau in the coming week. He had planned to split his two good two-year-olds, but Hiatus will be spelled after being scratched from the Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield yesterday after pulling up sore following a gallop on Friday.

''They were my best two two-year-olds,'' Messara said. ''Hiatus was a bit more precocious, while this bloke is more of a sit-and-sprint type and might be the better of the two in the long run. I'll have a chat with the owners and see how he pulls up before deciding where to go next.''

Beneteau is bred to be a Golden Slipper contender, by Redoute's Choice out of Slice Of Paradise, a full-sister to Blue Diamond and multiple group 1 winner Alinghi. His name honours the connection of Alinghi with Beneteau, the builder of the America's Cup-winning yacht.

The debut win impressed TAB Sportsbet, with Beneteau now $8 for the Blue Diamond after $18 was bet before yesterday's race. Darley's Secession is still the $6.50 favourite with Blue Diamond Preview winners Crystal Lily and Innocent Gamble in to $9 and $13 respectively.

''We had a customer have $1500 on Beneteau at $18 before the win and he is the biggest mover in Blue Diamond betting,'' TAB Sportsbet's Matt Jenkins said. ''It was a very impressive win.''