BENT BENNY HAS HIS DAY IN THE WINNERS' ENCLOSURE

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, August 24, 2021

The Michael Nolan stable sent two runners to Dalby on August 24, an 80km trip north-west of their home base at Toowoomba, and that decision paid immediate dividends when Bent Benny, their first runner on the day, finished best of all down the centre of the track in a Maiden Plate over 1400m to gain his first career win in his seventh start.

Bent Benny had kicked off his career with a third placing over 1100m at Dalby back on June 11 and, until this race, his best finish beyond that was a runner-up finish at Gatton on June 26 when run out of it by 0.80 lengths by Peta Calada, again over 1100m.

Bent Benny failed to find a place in his three runs following that second place at Gatton, but it is worth noting that the horses who featured prominently the last two of those races … Mishani Conman and Sonic Arrow (who finished first and second respectively in Bent Benny’s race on July 24 at Toowoomba) and Pure Purgatory (who won the race that Bent Benny was involved in on August 7 at Toowoomba) all went on to win in subsequent starts which puts Bent Benny’s results in those races in some perspective.

Back at Dalby, jockey Michael Hellyer settled Bent Benny just worse than midfield in the early part and the began improving his position at the start of the approach to the home turn.

After initially saving ground towards the inside, Hellyer, still with five horses in front of him, was now looking to get Ben Benny out into clear running and, after shifting out, Ben Benny emerged in third place, five wide, when the field straightened with a straight line, uninterrupted path awaiting him to the finish line as he set his sights to target Fiorcast who had hit the front.

Fiorcast was game but Bent Benny had both the momentum and he had found an extra gear as he surged strongly to nail Fiorcast a little bit more comfortably than the official 0.50 length margin suggests.

Bent Benny, who was easy to back at $8.50, was well placed by the Nolan stable here as he seemed to appreciate the step up in distance to 1400m, this being his first start beyond the 1300m trip.
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The second Nolan trained runner Terrajohna ($4.80) chimed in with a third place finish in the last race at Dalby.

The four-year-old Nicconi gelding raced ungenerously early and, after jumping well enough, went back towards the rear of the field midrace, some five lengths off the lead.

Terrajohna had a wall of horses in from of him on straightening, but he did not give up the fight. Instead he continued to chase up along the inside and he continued to extend with meaning inside the final 150m … an effort which carried him into third place at the line.

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