Gulgong trainer Brett Thompson is rapt by the second win for Bensay recently at Coonabarabran, as the filly continues a strong run of form for her local owners.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The three-year-old took out the Benchmark 50 Handicap (900 metres), showing early pace and holding off the fast finishing Invincible Thunder and Dynamite Dan. The latter a runner for Mudgee trainer Mark Milton.
"She jumped, lead them and we thought they would run over the top of her, but she dug deep, fought them off, and won nicely - by half a length," Thompson said.
Bensay is owned by Thompsons, Richard and Leigh Hartigan, and Les Willis.
"It's good to get a win for people that have been in our stable for a while and they keep getting a nice horse coming through," he added.
And the trainer has much praise for the runner, who scored her first win in October last year and has placed twice as well, all in less-than 10 starts.
"She's a good little filly, she's had four runs before this with two thirds at Scone and Muswellbrook before winning at Muswellbrook. Then she had a run when she didn't go so well [seventh at Warren], so we gave her a spell," Thompson said.
"We brought her back for a run in Dubbo. Then we put Ashleigh Stanley on her and we thought she'd win.
"She's a pleasure to train and very quiet, we've been really happy with her.
"She's out of a mare [So Choisay] that won 10 races herself and a really good sprinter for Peter Nestor in Dubbo. And is just a tough little thing, she shows ability at home, but not the toughness she shows in a race, she really loves to win.
"Two wins and two placings out of seven starts, you can't ask for more than that."
The question now becomes where to take Bensay from here, with Thompson's original plans having to change with the Coonabarabran win.
But at the end of the day, the chestnut filly's change in eligibility is a good problem to have.
"We were going to take her to Wellington, but now she's won we can't take her because it was a Class 1," he said.
"So her next start will probably be in Dubbo."
