Palentino - You Look, You Book

Super talented Hellbent mare Benedetta has been knocking on the door of a Group I win and got the job done at Morphettville on Saturday when she had the benefit of a brilliant Jamie Kah ride to arrive on the line and win the $1million Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap (1200m).

Australian bred horses have competed very successfully in South Africa over the years and a significant number of Aus bred mares are now at stud over there and one of them is the dam of talented four year-old Royal Aussie, who won the Group II Drill Hall Stakes (1400m) at Greyville in South Africa on Wednesday.

The Andrew Forsman-trained Positivity proved a grade above her rivals when cruising to a near two-length victory in the SA Fillies Classic (2500m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

After racing with little luck, the stars aligned for the 4-year-old Shalaa (IRE) gelding Semillion in Saturday’s $250,000 Listed De Bortoli Wines Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Newcastle.

If you wondered whether the hype on Coolmore stallion Justify (not returning to Australia this year) was in fact justified, you got a good indication as to the esteem in which he is held by other parties when Godolphin purchased one of his two year-old colts for a record price at the Arqana Breeze Up Sale overnight.

Not shuttling to Australia this spring, Justify posted a milestone 30th stakes-winner in the UK overnight when progressive colt Capulet won the Listed Chester Dee Stakes (1m2 ½ f) for the Coolmore partners.

It was a matter of dig where you struck gold before when Proven Thoroughbreds purchased a Jungle Cat (IRE) filly for $95,000 from the Telemon Thoroughbreds draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

The Caulfield program on Saturday produced a number of progressive winners and one to really catch the eye was So You Think gelding Sure, who made it two wins in as many starts when he strode to an easy victory.

A week after Mosheen’s son Danon Ayres Rock captured the Listed Principal Stakes at Tokyo Racetrack, another two popular Australian-bred mares, were featured among the winners in Japan.

South Australian breeder Brenton Parker never thought he’d live to see the day he would breed and race a G1 winner but that all changed when talented mare Benedetta (Hellbent) won the Goodwood Handicap at Morphettville.