Queman seals remarkable return with Behemoth victory
Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Queman (Mint Lane) sealed a superb training effort in resuming from more than a year off to add another black type title to his CV in Saturday’s Behemoth Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Morphettville.
Having his first race in 69 weeks following a sesamoid injury, the tough son of obscure American stallion Mint Lane (Maria’s Mon) came into the race off two barrier trials, and only started on the fifth line of betting in a seven-horse field, at $8.50.
The seven-year-old had only once won beyond the 1100 metres of his 2024 Oakleigh Plate triumph—when taking his 1200-metre maiden at Morphettville in April, 2022—and co-trainer Shane Oxlade would later admit he felt Queman was vulnerable at that distance on Saturday.
But rather than be cuddled, he went straight to the front under Connor Murtagh, and was out to a two-length lead through the middle stages.
Queman’s day out looked done for early in the straight when Ciaron Maher’s dual stakes winner Recommendation (Shalaa), at $7, drew up to his outside on straightening.
But as the pair knuckled down for an epic battle over the final 200 metres on the Soft 6 surface, it was Queman who dug the deepest, scoring by 0.3 lengths.
The Listed-winning Lingani (America) was more than two lengths further back in third at $7.50, with $2.30 favourite Is It Me (Iffraaj) fourth.
Oxlade was in an emotional state after watching his brave gelding tick over the $1 million mark in earnings with his tenth win from 24 starts, and his first on rain-softened ground.
“I’m pretty proud of the horse, to be honest,” Oxlade, who trains with daughter Cassie at Strathalbyn, told Racing.com.
“At 1200 metres, I was worried, because he just likes to get up and get going. I said to Connor, ‘Don’t chase him out of the gates, just leave him alone, he’ll get up and get travelling.’
“He looked vulnerable, but jeez he’s a tough bugger. It’s been a long time…69 weeks. He’s been in work a long time. I’m just really proud of the horse.
“To do that at 1200 metres, out of his comfort zone first-up, I’m pretty rapt, to be honest. I knew he’d run well but I thought he’d be vulnerable.”
Bred and co-raced by South Australian breeding and racing identity Francis “Boof” Smith, Queman stunned onlookers with his 0.1-length Oakleigh Plate triumph in February last year, as a $17 chance.
It was his second black type victory on the bounce after he’d lifted the W.J. Adams Stakes (Listed, 1000m) the month previous, also at Caulfield.
He was spelled after two more runs and returned for a barrier trial last spring before his injury fate struck.
With the long road of recovery successfully completed on Saturday, Oxlade said he would now look towards more stakes racing in the spring, with The Heath (Gr 3, 1100m) back at Caulfield on August 30 his next potential target.
“I’m happy to give him a couple of weeks and wait for the weather to turn,” Oxlade said. “He’s better on top of the ground.”
Queman hails from modest stock to say the least.
He is one of only three foals, and the only one to race, for 15-year-old mare Langreen (Clangalang), a country maiden winner. She bore a colt by Twin Hills Stud’s Peltzer (So You Think) last year, but wasn’t covered in the spring.
Queman is one of four stakes victors, and the only one at Group level, for Mint Lane, who has 69 winners from 118 runners.
Imported to Australia in 2010, he stood several seasons at South Australia’s Willow Grove Stud. He was transferred to Victoria’s Glen Eden Stud in 2019, but was returned to South Australia and disappeared from the stud book thereafter.