Bobby Bennu
Race entries
From the Goffs Orby Sale, this colt is by PHOENIX OF SPAIN
Eligible for Europe's Richest 2YO Race, the Goffs Million, over 7 furlongs at The Curragh in September 2023.
Pedigree update: '1st dam CLENAGHCASTLE LADY (IRE): dam of National Emblem (IRE) (20 c. by National Defense (GB)): winner at 2 and rated 84, from just 2 runs.
TRAINER: ROGER VARIAN, who we warmly welcome to Middleham Park Racing.
What a season Roger Varian has had! Classic winners, Mill Reef winners and Dewhurst favourites, over £2.5 million in GB prize money, 118 winners and counting. He can train Royal Ascot 2yo’s, progressive 2yo’s, milers and stayers alike. He’s an all round performer and a gentleman to boot.
We feel this colt will suit him admirably well, being from a Lope De Vega line, out of an Acclamation mare, the same cross as Roger’s 114 rated San Donato. He clearly gets on well with the genetics mix.
Watch him parade in these two videos:
Our colt is a lovely, strong, yet loose moving colt with great presence and size. He’s from the first crop of the Classic winning miler Phoenix Of Spain out of an Acclamation mare who has produced black type performers already from a very modest cohort of stallions that she’s visited. We’d like to think that Phoenix Of Spain represents a significant stallion upgrade on her previous matings. There’s every reason to believe our colt can be a serious black type performer himself, therefore.
Both his pedigree and physique suggest he’ll be able to race from May or June 2023, starting over distances of approximately 6f, and hopefully, running at the BIG SUMMER festivals will be on this colt’s agenda. We’ve bought him, for a very sensible €85,000 from the Goffs Orby Sale, Ireland’s Premier Yearling Sale, to mark as a specific seasonal target, their €1 million Sales Race, run over 7f, and held at the Curragh on 23rd September 2023. The winner earns €500,000 and even the 10th horse even earns €10,000 no less. We firmly believe this colt can be a serious contender.
We’d like to think he’ll stay a mile eventually, and he’s a thoroughly exciting addition to our 2023 2-year-old roster.
The same MPR buying team, who bought last year's yearlings have done a great job, with 18 pieces of 2yo black type earned this season and no doubt they have struck gold with this one too!
Training update (December): "He is accepting his training very well; hacking away with the other yearlings up the AWT, along with going into the arena to do some flat work. He has a great attitude and his work will gradually be increased over the forthcoming weeks." See videos of him, below.