Sapphire Coast Preview: Bentley in the driver’s seat for another win

Highway winning trainer Jamie Stewart won’t know until after Monday whether his All Too Hard gelding Bentley Brook will be headed to Sydney for another Highway tilt

John Hawkes feeds Bentley Brook’s famous father All Too Hard a carrot as a afternoon treat at his Rosehill Stable . Pic Gregg Porteous

EPIC blueblood Bentley Brook could potentially make an appearance on the $2 million The Ingham undercard in a few weeks time unless he wins on Monday at the Sapphire Coast.

That’s the happy dilemma facing Bentley Brook’s Highway winning trainer Jamie Stewart as he ponders the gelding’s next move.

With three wins on his C.V, one more in Monday’s Bega Cup Carnival Benchmark 66 Handicap (1000m) and Bentley Brook will become ineligible for any future Highways.

FIELDS AND FORM SAPPHIRE COAST MONDAY

The gelding’s first (and potentially) last Highway attempt was made all the more difficult after he drew 10 in the 13-horse field at Randwick on The Big Dance day.

“He did a lot of work,’’ Stewart said.

“There’s no hiding up there. They’re always races with a lot of genuine speed and he was just stuck working the whole way.

“Once you dissect the race, I was happy enough with his run. He didn’t shirk his task.

“There is another Highway in a couple of weeks if Monday happened to be called off or we didn’t go for whatever reason, there is that option there again.

“It’s tricky. You can sit around waiting for a Highway and draw barrier 16 so sometimes you have to take (the wins) while they are there.’’

Bentley Brook is peerless when it comes to pedigree as a son of All Too Hard out of River Dove whose eight wins include the 2003 Oakleigh Plate.

So highly regarded is this family that River Dove’s Fastnet Rock yearling was sold for a whopping $4 million at the 2011 Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Stewart meanwhile will find out if he’s bought himself a bargain when Winnie Fortune steps out for the first time in Monday’s Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1000m).

The Emirates Park born and raised daughter of Winning Rupert was picked up, online, by Stewart in April last year for just $1,750.

Winnie Fortune heads into Monday’s race off a low-key but heartily encouraging trial at Goulburn on November 18.

“She trialled nice enough without being asked to be a hell of a lot,’’ Stewart said.

“She has always shown a little bit but it is a little unknown what she will do when we let her off the bridle but all the signs are positive so far.”

Talented apprentice Ruby Scott takes ‘two-off’ the Stewart trained mare Fudge in the Affinity For Hair Class 1 & Maiden Plate which presents as a perfect opportunity for the daughter of Adelaide to post her second career win at the mile.

Her last two runs have been at 2000m, one of them a close second, the other a distant last.

“The jury is out whether she runs the 2000m,’’ Stewart said. “She did go really quite hard in that last one on a really firm track at Queanbeyan that didn’t suit her either.

“I still wouldn’t hesitate to step her back up to the 2000m if the right race came along but it just looked the right race for her there on Monday.

“I give her a good chance there but I am just a bit reserved after the last race.

“But she pulled up fine, her work has been good since, so hopefully we can just forgive her for that and be back on her way.’’

There wouldn’t be many more consistent, or in-form, horses in the deep south at present than the Stewart housed Voriah who tackles the Albacore Apartments Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m).

The Arrowfield bred daughter of Pariah book-ended a close second in a Benchmark 58 here at the Sapphire Coast with wins at Bombala and at home at Moruya.

Originally published as Sapphire Coast Preview: Bentley in the driver’s seat for another win