June 27th, 2008

WEANLINGS by More Than Ready son Benicio proved popular at Thursday’s William Inglis & Son sale at Newmarket in Sydney.

Top price among the consignment was $75,000 paid to secure a bay colt from a sister to Japan Derby winner Tayasu Tsuyoshi (by Sunday Silence).  Respected bloodstock agent Brett Howard (Randwick Bloodstock Agency) was the successful bidder.

“He was a good sized horse and looked like a racehorse. His dad is a very imposing individual and is passing that on to his progeny,” Howard said.
“I have probably seen about a half dozen or so, which is not enough to make a categorical statement, but you would have to be happy.”

Howard’s purchase is from the same family as the outstanding brothers Unbridled (Kentucky Derby) and Cahill Road (Wood Memorial), both of whom are very successful sires in the USA.

“The clearance rate among the weanlings on the first day was 71 percent.  Eight of the nine Benicio’s that were offered found new homes which is a very positive indicator, particularly in a tough market,” said Vinery Stud’s Adam White.

Previous weanlings shown to buyers by Benicio include a colt sold by Brighthill Farm in New Zealand which made $62,500.

This spring Benicio stands for $11,000 inc gst at Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley.

July 22, 2007

As the racing season draws to a close, STALLIONS continues to showcase freshman sires.

This week Alan Porter looks at the credentials of Benicio.

It’s a fair bet that when More Than Ready arrived in Australia, the focus for most breeders was on his brilliant two-year-old sprinting form, and his victory in the seven furlong King’s Bishop Stakes (G1) at three.

These looked just the credentials for a horse to get precocious types, and perhaps even a Slipper horse. More Than Ready certainly didn’t disappoint those looking for precocity from his first Australian crop, and he ended the 2004-2005 season as Leading First Crop Sire. To date, that first crop has produced no less than seven black-type winners, and they include Benicio, the subject of this article; the AJC Champagne Stakes (G1) victor, Carry On Cutie; Perfectly Ready, winner of the Goodwood Handicap (G1); and Tonz More Fun, who took The National Stakes (Jansz) (G3).

From More Than Ready’s first crop, there couldn’t have been too many with a speed pedigree to match that of Benicio. His dam, Mannington, by Danehill, sire of multiple Slipper winners, never won beyond 1100m, but did prove herself a very smart runner, winning the Blue Diamond Prelude (G3) and Talindert Stakes, and earning several other graded places, including thirds in the Newmarket Handicap (G1) and Blue Diamond Stakes (G1). Out of the Golden Slipper (G1) heroine Bint Marscay, a Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, Mannington was half-sister to the Coolmore Classic (G1) winner Bollinger, and to Sheraton, hero of the Blue Diamond Preview (G3). After producing Benicio, Mannington, foaled a Fusaichi Pegasus filly, who was retained by Benicio’s breeders’ Vinery Australia, and Mannington herself was sold for more than $2 million in foal to Red Ransom, as part of the major dispersal of the Vinery Australia broodmare band.

With sprinter’s physique to match his pedigree, it was no surprise to see Benicio sell very well as a yearling, realizing $525,000. However, on the racecourse, the pieces of the puzzle didn’t initially fit together. Benicio broke his maiden over 1300m at his third start, and after finishing fifth in the Group 2 VRC Sire’s Produce Stakes, he gained some black-type with a third in the Anzac Day Stakes, at his final two-year-old start. But this was scarcely what his price tag, pedigree and looks would have led his connections to hope for. Off the track for five months, Benicio won a 1600m Handicap at his second start in his classic year, then he finished third in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m). Just a week later, and tackling the longest trip of his career, Benicio triumphed in the Group I Victoria Derby over 2500m.

While Benicio’s aptitude is something of surprise, his ability is not. In fact his mating is a result of some deliberate careful planning. There were several reasons to try Mannington with More Than Ready, even though her pedigree and performance would have qualified her for virtually any stallion in the country. To start with, any mating between More Than Ready and a Danehill mare gives a son and daughter of Northern Dancer, with three crosses of Northern Dancer’s dam, Natalma, and four of his grandam, Almahmoud. Secondly, it was anticipated that More Than Ready would also appreciate the Buckpasser strain in Danehill. More Than Ready is out of a mare by Woodman (who is inbred to La Troienne’s family, once through Buckpasser) and he has further La Troienne inbreeding in his female line.

This line of thought has proved it’s merit with Benicio and the group one winning Perfectly Ready emerging from only four More Than Ready runners out of Danehill mares. In Mannington’s case, introducing the Woodman strain was particularly compelling, as Mannington is a half-sister to Sheraton, a graded stakes winner by Woodman. To complete the picture, Benicio has the genetic relatives Halo and Sir Ivor at the top and bottom of the pedigree.

Of course, none of this answers the question as to where Benicio’s surprising stamina springs from. A close examination does reveal some stamina elements in the pedigree.

More Than Ready himself made a bold showing for a long way in the ten furlong Kentucky Derby (G1), eventually tiring to finish a game, but exhausted fourth. His sire, Southern Halo, came close to capturing the Swaps Stakes (G1) at the same distance, and Halo was a grade one winner at 9½ furlongs. More Than Ready’s broodmare sire, Woodman, has sired some high-class winners over 1½ miles on the turf.

Turning to the distaff side of the pedigree, we know that Danehill has proved able to get group and grade one winners from all distances up to 2½ miles. And while Bint Marscay was markedly speedy and precocious, the cross from which she springs - Marscay over a Sir Tristram mare – also came up with the AJC Oaks (G1) and Queensland Oaks (G1) victress Triscay, and the South Australian Oaks (G1) winner, Miss Margaret.

We can also note that Benicio has a double of Buckpasser, who took the Jockey Club Gold Cup in the days when it was run at two miles. Buckpasser is a member of the wonderful tribe of La Troienne, a family that was developed in the U.S. at Col. E. R. Bradley’s Idle Hour Farm. More Than Ready has four strains of La Troienne, concentrated through Playmate (dam of Woodman, and in his third generation) and through his fourth dam, Best Side, and involving complex genetic relatives. We’ve mentioned that Danehill brings in another strain of Buckpasser. What we can also note, however, is that Marscay’s grandam, Accroche Coeur, is inbred 2 x 3 to Bradley’s Bee Mac, which brings more La Troienne, through and several other complex relationships to the Idle Hour strains in More Than Ready.

So, while his phenotype may suggest speed, we wonder whether Benicio’s genotype has been drawn from these strains accumulated more deeply in the pedigree. It would be no surprise if another More Than Ready – Mannington mating produced a very different kind of horse, rather like the matings between Zabeel and Eight Carat which produced Octagonal and Mouwad, horses of similar ability, but different aptitudes.

Vinery Stud’s General Manager, Peter Orton, reinforced Porters’ pedigree comments, saying, “Benicio is an outstanding individual who processes the dominance of character, presence, pedigree and a blistering turn of foot to become a success as a stallion. His sire More Than Ready (Champion 1st Season Sire), his dam Mannington (brilliant 2yo and half-sister to Bollinger), his grand-dam Bint Marscay (STC Golden Slipper winner), and top class relatives are all highly successful participants of Australian racing conditions. Decending from the proven Halo line and featuring Champion stallions Danehill, Marscay and Sir Tristram as his first three maternal sires, who between them won 15 Australian General Sires titles is a perfect ingredient for the making of a successful stallion. It was a great shame that Benicio did not get the opportunity to show what a spectacular racehorse he had developed into. Although earlier than expected, we look forward to his stud career, as we strongly believe Benicio is one of the most exciting young prospects for some years.”

Vinery Stud has listed his fee as $13,200 for his first season at stud in 2006 and he stands along side his sire More Than Ready, Dubleo, Mossman, Red Ransom, Success Express, Testa Rossa and Way of Light.