Former trainer Greg Bennett to cheer on old stable star Clearly Innocent at Eagle Farm

FORMER trainer Greg Bennett says he will get as much enjoyment as anyone watching his old stable star Clearly Innocent race in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm tomorrow.

FORMER trainer Greg Bennett says he will get as much enjoyment as anyone watching his old stable star Clearly Innocent race in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm tomorrow.

Bennett made a tough decision to give up training to become director of racehorse development at the impressive Aquis Farm at Canungra.

The respected horseman had enormous success with Clearly Innocent while he was a leading trainer at Scone in NSW.

Under his care, Clearly Innocent won seven of his first 12 starts, including the $400,000 Country Championships Final at Randwick last year.

Bennett said he would be on-course tomorrow to watch his former horse, a $7 chance, line up for new trainer Kris Lees at the winter carnival he always had earmarked for the five-year-old gelding.

Greg Bennett with Clearly Innocent during his days at Scone. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

“When I gave the horse to Kris I said, ‘I really don’t think we have seen the best of this horse yet. As he gets older you are going to see a major improvement’,” he said.

“We were always going to bring him up here for the winter carnival (this year).

“Kris is a terrific bloke and a very good trainer so it was a perfect fit to send the horse to him.

“I’m going to get as much enjoyment watching him run – and hopefully win – as Kris and everybody else will.”

Bennett said Clearly Innocent’s Country Championships Final win remained the most satisfying of his career.

While the horse wasn’t ready to take on the winter carnival showpiece, the Stradbroke Handicap, last year, he expected him to give it a shake if Lees chooses to take him to the Group 1 event on June 10.

“I had a lot of assistant trainers telling me to go to the Stradbroke last year but we decided against it,” Bennett said.

“We just didn’t feel he was seasoned enough and I’m glad we didn’t.

“It would have been a little bit too much of an ask. Now as an older and more experienced horse he will cope with it a lot better.

“I’m hoping that he performs well for them and I’ll be there cheering.”

Then trainer Greg Bennett celebrates with jockey Tommy Berry after Clearly Innocent won the 2016 Country Championships Final. Picture: Jenny Evans

Clearly Innocent is a $10 equal favourite with the Chris Waller-trained Counterattack for the Stradbroke.

Bennett, who is helping educate about 60 yearlings in his new role at Aquis Farm, said giving up Clearly Innocent was tough.

“There were decisions I had to make and I had to decide ­realistically or emotionally what I was going to do with the rest of my life,” he said.

“An opportunity with Aquis Farm and what they are wanting to do in the ­industry will probably have only been offered to me once so I figured I had to be ­realistic and take that opportunity and that’s what I have done.”