3 minute read

Hawkesbury trainer Bernie Kelly understandably took extra satisfaction when his lightly-raced gelding Bobbing won at Wyong on September 23.

A five-year-old having only his fifth start, Bobbing overpowered Our Royal Egyptian in the Class 1 Handicap (1350m) after he had “given up” on him halfway through the race.

Bobbing is a homebred by the deceased former Arrowfield stallion Beneteau (Redoute’s Choice) from the Dehere mare My Dear, a mare Kelly trained and who provided him with his last city winner at Canterbury on New Year’s Eve in 2003.

“My wife Anne and myself foaled Bobbing, so it’s a terrific thrill to be winning a couple of races with him,” Kelly said.

“Bobbing was a late foal (November 24, 2013) and has been a slow maturer.

“He has been a work in progress. Because of his length, he is a bit uncomfortable in the barriers and for that reason we use a barrier blanket on him.

“Bobbing is still a bit raw and we’ll just take baby steps with him, but I’m sure he is going to handle longer distances later on.”

Kelly has only three horses in work – Bobbing, another five-year-old Atum who has won twice and an unraced three-year-old.

Bobbing is the seventh foal of now retired 19-year-old mare My Dear, and is among the last crop of the ill-fated young stallion Beneteau, who ran third to another now successful stallion Star Witness in the 2010 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

He was retired after only six starts and died in 2013 having produced only two crops of foals at Arrowfield Stud.

“We had a minor share in Beneteau, and his death was a real loss to the breeding industry,” Kelly said.