On our tour of the Victorian studs last week we visited Woodside Park Stud and while new recruit Celestial Legend was the star attraction it was hard not be impressed by Dubawi’s globe-trotting son Benbatl (GB), who has his first Australian bred foal on the ground.
Bred and raced by Godolphin, Benbatl was a triple Group I winner that racked up 11 victories worldwide with his elite wins coming in Dubai, Germany and Australia where he captured the MRC Caulfield Stakes before finishing second to Winx in the Cox Plate.
Benbatl shuttles to Woodside Park from his base at Big Red Farm in Japan where his oldest progeny are two year-olds and already include two winners Grand Freude and Beret Basque, who won easily on debut at Niigata last week over 1400m in a field of 17 starters.
By the same sire as Too Darn Hot (GB), Benbatl comes with a big pedigree as a half-brother to Group I Newmarket 1000 Guineas winner Elmalka from dual Group I winner Nahrain, so he has the page to match his good looks and G1 ability.
His first foal to be born this spring in Australia arrived last week with Woodside Park releasing an image today of the filly from well bred Sebring mare Zeebling, a placed sister to Group III placed Oink from the family of Group I winners The Duke, Sky Field and Think about It, who also won an Everest.
Benbatl stands at a fee of $22,000.
