Latest news with #AustralasianOaks
News.com.au
06-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Glen Thompson declares flying filly in great shape for Queensland Oaks tilt
Trainer Glen Thompson says his recent Australasian Oaks victory with Benagil is 'a bit of blur' but he will now put the Queensland Oaks into sharp focus after confirming his high-flying filly will head to Brisbane for the $700,000 Group 1 race next month. Thompson said last week he would make a decision on whether Benagil would compete in the Queensland winter carnival after the dust had settled on her epic victory in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) in Adelaide on April 26. But the Flemington-based trainer declared the daughter of Manhattan Rain was in 'great shape' and would fly to Brisbane on May 20 and race in the Group 2 $300,000 The Roses (2000m) for 3YO fillies at Doomben four days later. Then it will be onwards to the Queensland Oaks (2200m) on June 7 at Eagle Farm, with top jockey Mark Zahra to stay on after his Australasian Oaks success at Morphettville. 'She's come through the run great,' Thompson said about the emotional triumph, just two months after the passing of his former training partner Michael Moroney. 'We came back to Melbourne the day after and she's licked the bin out the whole time. 'She hasn't left an oat since the race so she's in great shape. 'It was a great weekend. It's all a bit of a blur to be honest. There was a lot going on at the time but I've watched the video a few times since then and it's a day I'll never forget.' It's been a tumultuous season for Thompson, whose future was in limbo last month when it was announced that Ballymore Stables, where he worked as an assistant trainer, would be absorbed by Lindsay Park. But fortunately Thompson has secured 20 boxes at Flemington as a trainer in his own right and he gets to keep Benagil in his stable. "WHAT A QUALITY FILLY." Benagil wins the Australasian Oaks. The first Group 1 for Glen Thompson as a solo trainer after the passing of Mike Moroney. 😇 â€' 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) April 26, 2025 TAB has posted Benagil as the $4.50 equal favourite for the Queensland Oaks alongside the Nathan Doyle-trained Churchill's Choice, with Belle Detelle ($6) and $8 chances Femminile, Philia and Verona Rose on the next line. 'At this stage she'll definitely head up to Queensland, she's booked to fly up on the 20th (of May),' Thompson said about Benagil. 'At this stage we're very happy with her and she's definitely heading in that direction.' Thompson said Benagil, who has earned more than $1.1m in prizemoney and delivered the trainer's first Group 1, was a dream filly to train. 'She's got a great attitude, she's very straightforward, quiet and loves her work,' he said. 'She's tough too. I wish I had five more like her. She's been to Sydney and back (to Melbourne), Adelaide and back, and it hasn't worried her one bit. 'It's unbelievable how she seems to have thrived off the travel so far.' Meanwhile, trainer Bjorn Baker said his gun sprinter Overpass was on track to compete in the Group 1 $1.5m Doomben 10,000 (1200m), with Josh Parr to ride, on Saturday week after losing his The Quokka crown in Perth late last month. 'He's going well,' Baker said. 'He's going to have a good gallop tomorrow (Tuesday) and we'll look at getting him up there for that (the Doomben 10,000) for sure. 'He's had a good preparation. It didn't quite work out in Perth as we'd hoped but he was very good in the TJ Smith (runner-up to Briasa on April 5 at Randwick) so if he runs up to that he's a good chance.'
News.com.au
28-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Dethroned The Quokka champion Overpass set for 2025 Doomben 10,000
Group 1 star and seasoned traveller Overpass may have lost his $5m The Quokka crown, but will now add extra star power to the early stages of the Queensland winter carnival. Trainer Bjorn Baker and syndicator Scott Darby confirmed the $10.5m earner would attack the $1.5m Group 1 Doomben 10,000 on May 17. Overpass was striving to score his third consecutive The Quokka last Saturday but finished fifth, beaten a length-and-a-half by fairytale winner Jokers Grin, who is trained by 70-year-old Bernie Miller. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Overpass, rated a $6 chance in the Doomben 10,000, will now add some extra snap and crackle to the early stages of the winter carnival. 'For sure, he will go to the Doomben 10,000, we are definitely going that way as long as all goes well,' Baker told Racenet. 'He has got a bit of a travel in front of him, but that's what we will do. 'It will just be the one run in Queensland. 'In The Quokka, I thought he was OK and still ran well and didn't get beaten that far. 'Maybe, it was a little bit of a risk going in second-up and maybe that took its toll. 'We thought we could get away with it, three weeks between runs, given he is a little bit older. 'Next year, we would look at going to The Quokka first-up.' "I think he might have got the winning hand." JOKERS GRIN storms home from the clouds & wins the $5 million Quokka! ðŸ'¥ — (@Racing) April 26, 2025 • Overpass has raced in the Doomben 10,000 before, finishing second behind Giga Kick in 2023. As the Queensland winter carnival stars start to align, Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith indicated there was a chance The Quokka and Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes placegetter Headwall could also head north for the winter. 'I won't make a decision until I get him home, I will probably know what we are doing with him early next week,' Smith said. Meanwhile, Glen Thompson indicated last Saturday's Group 1 Australasian Oaks winner Benagil could be set for the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 7. Benagil was an emphatic Oaks winner in South Australia and there were emotional scenes given the passing of co-trainer Michael Moroney earlier this year. Benagil is the $4.50 favourite for the Queensland Oaks and Thompson told Racenet: 'She is a chance of coming to Queensland, depending on the next week and how she is after her (South Australian) trip.' Maiden filly Sweltering finished runner-up behind Benagil in Adelaide on Saturday and will almost certainly embark on a Queensland campaign, according to co-trainer Trent Busuttin.
Herald Sun
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Benagil secures trainer Glen Thompson emotional first Group 1 in Australasian Oaks
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. It's been a whirlwind two months for trainer Glen Thompson, and it took another emotional turn on Saturday, securing a maiden Group 1 win with Benagil in the $1m Australasian Oaks at Morphettville. The passing of co-trainer Michael Moroney to cancer saw Thompson left in charge of Ballymore stables in late February, as he worked to keep the ball rolling under tragic circumstances. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! There's no easy way to fill the void left by a Melbourne Cup-winning trainer, but Thompson has stamped the beginning of his own legacy with Benagil's Oaks win – a first at Group 1-level in his own right. 'It's been a tough few weeks, I just tried to focus on today, we got her here in as good order as we could,' Thompson said. 'I thought she was spot on today, and she raced liked it.' The Manhattan rain filly settled back in the field under star jockey Mark Zahra, peeling wide on the turn as the race heated up, looming up strongly at the 300m. • What the jockeys said: 2025 Australasian Oaks The filly let down powerfully over the final 200m, cruising to a one-length win in the 2000m feature. Finishing second to triple Group 1 winner Treasurethe Moment in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes last start, Thompson had no doubt Benagil ($3) was capable at the elite level. 'She's always shown a lot of ability, she come back as a 3YO in the spring, she was very unlucky in the Thousand Guineas and those sort of races, she's just gone to another level this time,' he said. The win saw Zahra claim back-to-back Australasian Oaks wins, after piloting Vibrant Sun to victory in the $1m feature last year. There was a blowout result among the placegetters, six-start maiden Sweltering ran a massive race at odds of $151, finishing second for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. Second favourite Polymnia, trained by John O'Shea and Tom Charlton, charged home alongside Sweltering to finish third. Meanwhile, Athanatos secured an early training double for Phillip Stokes after Regal Azmon won Saturday's opener. Athanatos scored a strong win in the Chairman's Stakes but the gelding will sidestep the SA Derby and head to the paddock. Zloties won the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes for Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg. Begg's patience with the talented mare has paid off after shoulder stress fractures and a pelvic injury kept the mare sidelined for two and a half years across 2022-2024. Beauty Rising's win in the last race saw the Stokes stable claim a winning treble on Saturday, taking home training owners on the nine-race card, but with two Group 1 wins, it was a day owned by Zahra. Originally published as Benagil secures trainer Glen Thompson emotional first Group 1 in Australasian Oaks at Morphettville
Courier-Mail
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Benagil secures trainer Glen Thompson emotional first Group 1 in Australasian Oaks
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. It's been a whirlwind two months for trainer Glen Thompson, and it took another emotional turn on Saturday, securing a maiden Group 1 win with Benagil in the $1m Australasian Oaks at Morphettville. The passing of co-trainer Michael Moroney to cancer saw Thompson left in charge of Ballymore stables in late February, as he worked to keep the ball rolling under tragic circumstances. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! There's no easy way to fill the void left by a Melbourne Cup-winning trainer, but Thompson has stamped the beginning of his own legacy with Benagil's Oaks win – a first at Group 1-level in his own right. 'It's been a tough few weeks, I just tried to focus on today, we got her here in as good order as we could,' Thompson said. 'I thought she was spot on today, and she raced liked it.' The Manhattan rain filly settled back in the field under star jockey Mark Zahra, peeling wide on the turn as the race heated up, looming up strongly at the 300m. • What the jockeys said: 2025 Australasian Oaks The filly let down powerfully over the final 200m, cruising to a one-length win in the 2000m feature. Finishing second to triple Group 1 winner Treasurethe Moment in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes last start, Thompson had no doubt Benagil ($3) was capable at the elite level. 'She's always shown a lot of ability, she come back as a 3YO in the spring, she was very unlucky in the Thousand Guineas and those sort of races, she's just gone to another level this time,' he said. The win saw Zahra claim back-to-back Australasian Oaks wins, after piloting Vibrant Sun to victory in the $1m feature last year. There was a blowout result among the placegetters, six-start maiden Sweltering ran a massive race at odds of $151, finishing second for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. Second favourite Polymnia, trained by John O'Shea and Tom Charlton, charged home alongside Sweltering to finish third. Meanwhile, Athanatos secured an early training double for Phillip Stokes after Regal Azmon won Saturday's opener. Athanatos scored a strong win in the Chairman's Stakes but the gelding will sidestep the SA Derby and head to the paddock. Zloties won the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes for Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg. Begg's patience with the talented mare has paid off after shoulder stress fractures and a pelvic injury kept the mare sidelined for two and a half years across 2022-2024. Beauty Rising's win in the last race saw the Stokes stable claim a winning treble on Saturday, taking home training owners on the nine-race card, but with two Group 1 wins, it was a day owned by Zahra. Originally published as Benagil secures trainer Glen Thompson emotional first Group 1 in Australasian Oaks at Morphettville
The Australian
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
What the jockeys said: 2025 Australasian Oaks
Flemington conditioner Glen Thompson got the biggest win of his training career when Benagil took out the $1 million Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on Saturday. Thompson recently took over the reins in his own right after his former training partner, New Zealand Racing Hall Of Famer Mike Moroney, passed away in February. Benagil put the writing on the wall at his previous start when second to Treasurethe Moment in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes during the Sydney carnival. The daughter of Manhattan Rain appreciated a strongly run race, coming from well back to defeat one of the outsiders, Sweltering and the well supported Polymnia. Benagil's win was her fourth from 10 starts and took her earnings to more than $1.1 million. The three-year-old filly was ridden by Mark Zahra. This is what the riders thought of their mount's performance in the Australasian Oaks. 1st – BENAGIL (Mark Zahra) I was just smoking the pipe, looking at what was going on. I was very happy with the tempo, and I think if you could have been on any horse at the 600 (metres) was me. I was just jogging. In these staying races, I don't like to disappoint them for too long. You've got to let them go when they're ready to go. I waited until we got them a straight, let her rip, and she had them a long way out and did a good job. 2nd – SWELTERING (Ethan Brown) Outstanding. She was suited by a good speed, she hit a bit of a flat spot around the corner, I just had to guide her through that but when she straightened she stayed on really well and good to get a Group 1 placing. 3rd – POLYMNIA (Jamie Melham) Very good run. If she drew a gate it would've been interesting, she just had a lot of horses stopping in front of her and had to wait and wait for a run, only got out late. If she drew a barrier it would've been very interesting. 4th – CAVITY BAY (Harry Coffey) Super run, we just got held up and crowded around the home bend and it probably cost her running second but I thought she went super and she ran really well. 5th – MOVIN OUT (Ben Melham) Ran well, had to give a big start away from the draw to receive protection from the wind. From the 700 (metres) we found the back of the eventual winner, crept into the race doing no work, probably just the back up within a week but she's a nice mare moving forward. 6th – PELEVECCHIO (Jacob Opperman) She ran well. It was just a matter of finding the gaps at the top of the straight which she did. It was a game effort. 7th – FEMMINILE (Thomas Stockdale) She jumped well, we had her closer today. Ideally I would've liked to have been a pair closer on the back of some better runners but we had to pinch runs where we could. She ran home strong but she'll appreciate the extra 500 (metres) when she gets it. 8th – WOLFESS (Jamie Mott) She gave me a real glimpse of hope there straightening up when she hit the front. Bit immature, blinkers will help her. 9th – COMANCHE MISS (Lachlan Neindorf) Got into a lovely spot from the barrier, relaxed, travelled beautifully underneath me, probably struggled to see out the 2000, needs another prep to develop. 10th – TOO DARN LIZZIE (Blake Shinn) Beaten at the turn, doesn't run 2000 (metres). 11th – BEAUTIFUL JEWEL (Ben Price) It was an honest run. She had a lovely run in transit, just when the pressure came on she probably didn't see out the 2000 (metres), she'll be a lovely miler next time around. 12th – ALL KINDS OF FOLK (Blaike McDougall) Not her day today. She travelled into it like, I thought, the winner, but once I placed her under pressure she just didn't find so hopefully she pulls up okay. 13th – GIORGI (Daniel Stackhouse) Just outclassed. 14th – HORIZONS (Todd Pannell) Just had to go back from the wide gate and she had too big a task. 15th – PHENOM (Rochelle Milnes (a)) Probably just struggled to get that 2000 (metres) today. 16th – CINCH (Celine Gaudray) There's a soundness issue going on there, she's pulled up lame, so I hope the team can get her back.
