There has been no lack of commitment to detail in the Randwick stable of Grahame Begg but the results have been rare.
“A very quiet season, very lean,” Begg said on Friday when discussing the prospects of Bennetta winning Saturday’s Civic Stakes at Rosehill.
“We haven’t had the horse numbers, there has been a lack of fire power but we’re still putting in the long hours.”
Nurtured in the racing game by his father, Neville Begg, who was one of the all time greats, Begg knows the industry is yet again taking a different track.
“It is a changing landscape,” Begg said.
“The dynamics have certainly changed, the bigger stables are getting bigger and the smaller stables are finding it hard to compete.
“Is that good for racing?”
What is good is the condition of Bennetta which has been installed favourite for the Listed Race over 1350m on a track where she has won one from six and been placed three times.
“She has probably been a bit disappointing,” Begg said.
“She hasn’t won since winning the Light Fingers early last year but she has run in some pretty good races.
“She went down to Melbourne last spring and didn’t have much luck. She only had the two runs here in Sydney during the autumn due to the wet tracks, she prefers firm ground.”
While it was pouring in Sydney over the carnival Begg idled along with Begg eyeing off a couple of races at the Brisbane festival.
“She only had the two runs in Brisbane and she is coming out of a strong race,” Begg said.
“A race where the speed was hot, they ran 1min9sec and she was 15 lengths off them turning for home and she was only beaten a couple of lengths.
“Obviously there’ll be good speed tomorrow but she won’t be that far off them in a smaller field.
“The smaller field will suit.”
A home-bred from racing and breeding devotee George Altomonte of Corumbene Stud Bennetta has done nothing but please Begg.
“She arrived back home eight days ago and this looked a quite suitable race,” Begg said.
“I haven’t had to do too much with her, the two runs up north, the trip home, I’ve done little with her.
“It would be good to get a win on board, she deserves one.”
Begg is already planning for the future.
“George Altomonte is very good to deal with, knows racing, he is a very good breeder, a good man,” Begg said.
“There is no indication she’ll go to stud. We’ll probably send her out for a short break after tomorrow and get her back, ready for the early spring races.
“She can miss the later part of the spring, she can have a really good spell and get ready for the autumn carnival.
“There is a good race in her.”
By Craig Young
