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Star galloper Behemoth will be honoured with the race that launched his Group 1 winning campaigns in 2023.
The Group 3 Spring Stakes will be renamed the Behemoth Stakes from next year coinciding with the emotional departure of Behemoth from trainer David Jolly's Goolwa stables on Thursday.
Behemoth won the first of two Spring Stakes in 2020 before he went to Melbourne claiming his maiden Group 1 win at Caulfield in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes before backing up two weeks later to win the Group 1 Memsie Stakes.
He repeated his Spring Stakes success in 2021 before adding a second Group 1 Memsie to his bulging resume.
The horse plucked for just $6000 took his connections on the ride of a lifetime.
He raced in four Group 1 Goodwood's in Adelaide and arguably should have won in 2019, competed in the $7.5m Golden Eagle, $15m Everest and finished third in the $5m All-Star Mile during a career that netted 10 wins from 32 starts and $3.291,005 in prizemoney.
Jolly said having a highly sort after race on the South Australian racing calendar named after Behemoth was special feeling.
"It's brilliant to have a race like that named after him,'' Jolly said.
"I'm a traditionalist, it's a time honoured race and we're really rapt,'' he said.
Behemoth departed his Goolwa stables for his new home at Living Legends located at Woodlands on the outskirts of Melbourne on Thursday.
And Jolly said it was an honour to have trained a horse that would now join fellow stars of the turf at the International Home of Retired Champion Racehorses.
"There is a sense of pride for where he's going,'' Jolly said.
"It's a great honour for a horse to earn a spot there and to train a horse who has earnt a spot there is a great feeling.
"He's been a wonderful servant for us and a big part of our lives.
"It wasn't until yesterday where it really all hit us here at the stables and we started to reflect on the impact he's had on all of us. He's been a big part of our life for a few seasons.
"Horses like that are hard to replace, we'll try and find the next one but that's going to bloody hard to do,'' he said.
"Behemoth was an amazing athlete during his career, he won multiple Group 1s and was twice named South Australian Horse of the Year," Racing SA chief executive Vaughn Lynch said.
"We felt it was right, in conjunction with Morphettville, to name this race after him."
Morphettville chief executive, Grant Mayer reiterated these thoughts.
"This was a race that Behemoth won twice and helped catapult him to G1 success," Mayer said.
"We're rapt to be able to honour such a special thoroughbred."
The Group 3 Behemoth Stakes will take place on Saturday 12, August 2023 at Morphettville Racecourse.
