Jimmy Recard to kick off big spring for Bennett
Bennett Racing are set to kick off an exciting spring racing carnival as the syndication’s progressive colt Jimmy Recard (I Am Invincible) takes his place in the Vain Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Ciaron Maher-trained son of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) made his debut in the Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) last October, where he finished midfield and was subsequently sent for a spell.
He returned in June of this year with an impressive 1100-metre maiden win at Gosford, and backed up that performance with a gritty victory in the Next Gen Sprinters Series Final (1200m) at Flemington.
“He’s come through the run great,” founder Nathan Bennett told ANZ News. “He had a little freshen up off that, and has come back into work.
“He had a nice trial at Cranbourne a couple of weeks ago, he trialled really well and he worked yesterday with a pretty nice, Group-class horse of Ciaron’s and worked just as well, if not better. So he’s going pretty well and we’re looking forward to him returning again Saturday.”
Bennett said the newly turned three-year-old has taken significant physical and mental improvement since his juvenile campaign, and the team are confident he has developed into a genuine spring contender.
“He’s improved physically, he’s a good-sized horse now, a nice, big, strong colt. He had a little setback that day, we think approaching home, and we put him out afterwards,” Bennett said.
“Declan Bates, who rode him that day in the Debutant, thought he was the winner on the turn, so he just tweaked something there. We had to give him that bit of time, and when he came back, he came back super.
“When Jason Collett rode him [at Gosford], he felt he was every bit a stakes horse, and Jamie [Melham] was of the same opinion when he won at Flemington. He won like a very good horse that day, he had to dig deep and was held up in the straight. He’s really strengthened up, and I think he’s come on again since. We’re really looking forward to having him back.”
Bennett believes Saturday’s Group 3 assignment will serve as a perfect measuring stick for Jimmy Recard, with the colt’s work at home and feedback from riders all pointing towards stakes-level ability.
“I think he has earnt his spot to have a crack there. You can only go from your rider and trainer’s reports and they all think he’s stakes class, so we’ve got to throw him in that deep end at some point, which I think he deserves a chance at,” he said.
“He will improve off the run because he had a good blow in his trackwork the other morning, but certainly worked very well and I don’t think we want him to be too fit anyway, going into it. I think it’s a good starting point and hopefully he’s as sharp as them, but we’ll find that out on Saturday, but he’ll certainly be hitting the line late.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the spring, Bennett believes the colt possesses the class to compete at the elite level.
“That’s definitely what we’re aiming for,” he said. “It’ll tell us a lot on Saturday, whether we go towards the Caulfield Guineas or the Coolmore, or even the Golden Rose. But he’s certainly been earmarked as a colt we believe is Group 1 class.”
Jimmy Recard isn’t the only promising three-year-old carrying Bennett Racing’s orange and black silks this spring, with talented filly Military Tycoon (Written Tycoon) closing in on her return ahead of major spring targets.
The filly turned heads when she unleashed a lethal turn of foot to easily take out the Ottawa Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) by two lengths at Flemington, before heading north to Sydney for honest, midfield finishes in the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) and Percy Sykes Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m).
“She’s jumping out next week at Cranbourne,” Bennett said. “She had a jump-out at Bong Bong and went very well. She looks to have strengthened up nicely. Ciaron wanted to give her an extra week before the jump-out after travelling down from Sydney.
“After that, she’ll either head towards the Moir first-up or the Cap D’Antibes Stakes for fillies down the straight, we’ll just suss that out and see.
“It’s tough throwing those three-year-old fillies up against the older horses. Hopefully the likes of Baraqiel will be there, but I’m not sure it’s the best idea for her to take on him if he’s fit and well. We’ll have to work through that, but we know she loves the straight, and she’s currently aiming for the Coolmore.”
The syndicate will also have Baraqiel (Snitzel) chasing Group 1 glory this spring. The Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained gelding is set to tackle the Carlyon Stakes (Listed, 1000m) first-up, before heading to elite-level sprints at The Valley – a track at which he is unbeaten in two starts.
“He’s had three jump outs and the times were really nice again. Ben Allen thought it was the best he’s ever felt,” Bennett said. “At this stage, he’ll head to the Carlyon Stakes next Saturday then into the Moir and the Manikato, and then hopefully he’s going well enough to find his way in The Everest.”
Bennett also believes that stable stars Fawkner Park (Zoffany), Zaszou (Zoustar) and Zou Sensation (Zoustar) will be in for exciting spring campaigns.
“Fawkner Park will be in for a big season. I think Zaszou is in for another really good preparation, she went through her grades. Zou Sensation is airborne and the older he gets, the better he gets. So there’s three that come to mind straight away, so it wouldn’t do any harm following those three horses,” Bennett said.
Bennett Racing is also preparing for an exciting season with their upcoming two-year-olds, having purchased a number of quality yearlings in 2025.
“All of our two-year-olds are still getting through their work at the moment and are going to jump and runs with Ciaron,” Bennett said.
“At this stage, they’re all doing the job and in the next month we’ll know whether any progress further, whether they go to a jump-out at Randwick or head to the paddock.
“I had a good chat with Ciaron about them this morning and they’re all ticking the boxes and showing they can keep going, which is a pretty good sign. There are probably a couple that are later two-year-old, three-year-old types.
“But there’s a filly by Spirit Of Boom called Gunpowder Boom who looks every bit a two-year-old, so hopefully she keeps progressing as she is. Then there’s the I Am Invincible filly out of Zou Dancer, she’s not named yet but is at Warwick Farm, and everything the stable says about her she’s a real favourite. She’s got good size and strength and looks like she’s got a fair chance to go early. And Bavaria, the Snitzel colt out of Museo has shown similar attributes.
“So, there are three heading that way. Whether they’re early we don’t really know yet, but they’re certainly showing signs they’re physically and mentally ready.”
Bennett’s standout performer from last season, Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon), is set to begin his stud career at Widden Stud in Victoria in the coming weeks, and will step out in front of breeders at the farm’s stallion parade this Friday.
“We have been hearing great reports, people love him as a type and they have got good numbers booked in to him. I think Widden are pretty hopeful that once they have their stallion parade on Friday, they’re hoping that he will be pretty much booked out,” Bennett said.