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Behemoth blitzes rivals in Memsie romp.
Vinery Stud-based sire was handed his first Group 1 winner last season when Alligator Blood landed the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and on Saturday he chalked up his second top-flight winner when Behemoth (5 g ex Penny Banger by Zedrich) proved a class apart from his rivals in the Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Caulfield.
The David Jolly-trained five-year-old gelding came into the race off the back of a victory in the Spring Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and he broke through at the top-level when beating 2019 Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Mr Quickie (Shamus Award) by a length and a half. Glenfiddich (Fastnet Rock) finished another three-quarters of a length adrift in third.
Now the winner of over $1.3 million in prize money, the gelding was purchased by Heritage Bloodstock for $120,000 at the 2016 Inglis Great Southern Sale from the Tyreel Stud draft and breeder Linda Monds said she was over the moon to see the gelding grab a Group 1.
"I loved him, he was full of character, he really had such a big personality,'' Monds said.
"He was such a giant weanling, that's why we put him through the Great Southern Sale early on and while he kept growing after that, boy can he run.
"He was absolutely one of the biggest weanlings we'd had but that said, we'd had big before so it just proves again that Group 1 winners can come in all shapes and sizes.''
Behemoth was then purchased by Grand Syndicates for $6,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale and he is one of two winners out of the Listed-winning mare Penny Banger (Zedrich) and she is a half-sister to fellow Listed scorer Master Minx (Surtee).
Penny Banger was bought for $210,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions Patinack Farm Complete Dispersal Sale and then bought by Darren Dance for $30,000 at the 2017 William Inglis Great Southern Weanling and Bloodstock Sale and the placed Danny's Sparkle (Scissor Kick) was the mares last foal.
All Too Hard is the sire of 16 stakes winners and he will stand at Vinery Stud this term for a fee of $27,500 (inc GST).
