 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2011
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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Benny Hill is quietly changing the emphasis of his operation. He says a new training regime is being developed, with the focus on two and 3-year-olds.
He has not raced a 2-year-old this season, resisting the temptation to try an outstanding prospect of that age by Christian Cullen. "He's a horse called Beach Bunny and he's from a Fake Left mare (PK Bunny), and just went woosh when he qualified at Rangiora a week ago. He could be anything, and if we were offered $100,000 we wouldn't take it."
This is a sign of a change in direction for Hill and Cavalla Bloodstock, because next season they will be racing juveniles that they haven't in the past. "We're going to up the ante, and ask more of our young horses. This season we've tried eleven 2-year-olds, but we've also broken in twenty-four yearlings, and while some of them have gone, there will be a lot more available to be tried earlier."
Beach Bunny could have started the process, but Hill has been protective and put him out. He has enough on his plate in the meantime, with Saturday winners Carabella, Power Of Tara and Ultimate Player back at Addington on Friday night, along with Timeless Perfection. He will have three the following week, and then onto the Jewels with Carabella.
Hill made a clean sweep with his three runners on Premier raceday at Addington last Saturday, with Carabella leading the charge by setting a New Zealand record in the $140,000 Nevele R Fillies Series. She ran 2:19.7, which was a handsome improvement on the old mark of 2:21.3 held by Joyfuljoy. Tatijana Bromac, a smart filly, made a sharp sprint from the back for second, and Donegal Delight was a tough third after doing it hard in the open for a lap. Still, nothing could match Carabella, who was full of beans in the barn. "I hadn't seen her so lively before the race," said driver Ricky May, "and she was so keen in the prelim."
Hill knew she was very fresh. "She hadn't raced for six weeks, and I'd given her only the one trial. She'd been going through a growing period, and it was really happening when she ran second at Rangiora. She was a little sore, in areas where gallopers would call it shin soreness. Don't get me wrong, she was there and right to race. But it has settled down since then, and she is just getting that much stronger. And she is going to be better for the run and tighter for the Oaks," said Hill.
As well as May knows Carabella, he was still astonished she found the gas to put a few lengths on the pack at the corner. "She had been worked on a bit, and I thought she might battle when we turned in, but away she went and then knocked off near the end
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 18May2011