A teasing morsel of autumn racing

One thing exciting and unpredictable about watching 2YOs racing is that it’s like visiting a restaurant for the first time – the expectations are great but you never really know if the food is going to match the reviews.

And when the culinary treat is a cracker, you want to tell everyone about it.

Saturday’s Group 3 Blue Diamond Preludes (1100m at Caulfield) provided an entrée of juvenile racing that is the best we have seen so far this season. It should, because the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), run at Caulfield on February 20, sits nicely as Victoria’s premier race for 2YOs and a worthy “understudy” to Sydney’s Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m), run at Rosehill in April. Anybody wishing to debate the Diamond’s prominence, should check out its honour roll – consider Hurricane Sky, Knowledge, Redoute’s Choice, Bel Esprit, Alinghi, Courtza, Manikato, Lord Dudley, Rancher, Zeditave and Bounding Away as great winners, and breed influences.

Psychologist (b f 2007, Choisir–Miss Conception, by Danzero) is a typical example of the surprises you can get at this time of the year – like the time Redoute’s Choice burst on the scene to win on debut the Listed Veuve Clicquot Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 20, 1999, and a week later overpowered Testa Rossa to win the Blue Diamond.

On Saturday, a short time after Psychologist had us sitting on the edge of our couches, the Scone colt – why is he called the Sydney colt by some media? – Beneteau (pictured as a yearling), a son of Redoute’s Choice, won the colts’ and geldings’ division even more impressively, and slightly quicker (1.02.45 compared to 1.02.67), than the filly. Beneteau is a royally-bred colt from Slice Of Paradise (by Encosta De Lago), a Stakes-placed sister to the champion filly, and 2004 Blue Diamond Stakes winner, Alinghi.

Both these youngsters are outstanding prospects. I always like to see juveniles win their races in style, by a space and in quick time, just as these two did on Saturday. It usually means they are a cut above the rest. When the youngsters go across the line in a bunch it rarely means they are a bunch of stars, and more than often we are in for a moderate year.

Psychologist showed blistering speed to win the fillies’ division at her first public appearance. Trainer Tony Vasil had been shaking his head at the times the bay filly was running on the track, but he knew he had something special when he jumped on her back for a gallop at Caulfield last Tuesday – “wow,” he said. On Saturday, the filly dashed from the barriers, dominated from the front and let down like a real star to beat the smart Listed-winner (in spring) She’s Got Gears (by Invincible Spirit).

The athletic Psychologist cost Hong Kong-based owner Raymond Ngai $120,000 at the 2009 Inglis Easter Yearling Sales (second session) – she was one of four yearlings in the sale (both sessions) by Choisir (by Danehill Dancer), and the only one to sell for more than $70,000. The most intriguing aspect of the filly’s pedigree is that she has a double cross of Danehill (3 x 3) – and she is the first Stakes winner with a double cross of the great stallion. We are starting to see the doubling of Danehill’s sire Danzig (by Northern Dancer) emerge in the pedigrees of top horses, and we are going to see a lot more of this doubling of Danehill, particularly in Australia where it was revealed last week the 47 per cent of all Australian foals born in 2010 will have Danehill in their pedigree (figures produce by Pedigree Consultants) – so much for worrying about artificial insemination narrowing the gene pool (see our story AI- the other side of the coin)!

Of course, Psychologist also has a double dose of Star Kingdom through the maternal lines of her sire Choisir and dam-sire Danzero – both products of the Danehill-Star Kingdom cross.

Beneteau is a beautiful, well-balanced colt. I was taken by his reaching, straight action as he burst between the leaders at the 200m – the smoothness and distance of his stride reminded me a lot of the action of his close relation Alinghi. This is a colt of the highest quality, and a welcome boost for his sire Redoute’s Choice, whose yearlings this year have been struggling to average a price to match what the breeders outlayed on the Arrowfield Stud stallion’s 2007 service fee of $330,000 (inc. GST).

Beneteau, who is prepared at young trainer Paul Messara’s Arrowfield Training Farm, butting Arrowfield Stud, near Scone, in the Hunter Valley, came to Melbourne after his debut win at Randwick (1000m) on Australia Day when he wobbled all over the place in the straight (as he had done in a trial win before his debut). It was revealed that he cast a plate in that race, and obviously that had a lot to do with his unbalanced action – a bit like riding a bike with a square wheel.

On Saturday, with the inside rail to guide him around the home turn, Beneteau stretched out for as good a Prelude win as Real Saga produced last year – and Real Saga was unlucky not to beat Reward For Effort in a high-qualilty Blue Diamond Stakes – and right up there with Bel Esprit’s win in 2002 (and he went on to win the Blue Diamond).

Beneteau and Pyschologist, along with Crystal Lily (b f 2007, Stratum-Crystal Snip, by Snippets) – winner of the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m, fillies) at Caulfield on Australia Day) – stand out as the three youngsters likely to fight out the Blue Diamond Stakes; you can tack on Listed Talindert Stakes winner Star Witness (ch c 2007, Starcraft–Leone Chiara, by Lion Hunter) and David Hayes’ smart filly Shaaheq (b f 2007, Redoute’s Choice-Damaschino, by Last Tycoon (IRE)) to the mix. My tick is for Beneteau.

Beneteau was bought by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds for $1m at Inglis Easter last year for the specific purpose of achieving what he already is heading to do – win a Group 1 race and emerge as highly-valued (tens of $1 millions) stallion prospect. Breeders Arrowfield Stud stayed in the equation to ensure that Beneteau, if he wins the Blue Diamond Stakes, has a ready-made home when he retires.

We’ve had a delicious entrée, let’s hope the main course lives up to expectations. It should, the ingredients are outstanding.

NOTE: Plenty of thought has been applied to the naming of Beneteau, a French (multi-national) company renowned as a builder of luxury boats since 1884. Alinghi was the name of the Swiss-owned 2003 America’s Cup winner. Alinghi, and Beneteau’s mother Slice of Paradise are from the mare Oceanfast. Alinghi’s unraced 2YO by Hussonet (in training with Lee Freedman), has continued the Oceanfast inspiration – she is called Line Honours.

One final question: how is it that the registrar can let through this well-known corporate business name, yet be so strict with others?