Benbatl in fine fettle for Winx showdown

Horse Racing
Benbatl in fine fettle for Winx showdown

Benbatl trainer Saeed bin Suroor say his charge is ready to take on the mighty unbeaten Winx in Saturday’s Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

Winx is the highly-fancied favourite for the Australian contest this weekend after dominating the last four renewals of the Cox Plate and boasts a brilliant record of 28 successive victories.


Benbatl is seen as the next best in the field after impressing when winning the Group One Caulfield Stakes on his Australian debut earlier this month, while previous triumphs in Dubai and Germany underline the four-year-old’s credentials.


Suroor says he’s in good shape and confidence his high Benbatl can go well, even though going up against Winx is the toughest of tests.


Suroor told www.racing.

com: ‘When he won in Dubai in March, the Group One Dubai Turf, he won it really well and that gave me the confidence to send him here.


‘This year, physically, he looks a lot better.

When he was two he was a little bit weak, it took him time to show, but I knew he was going to be something good.


‘I looked after him, I didn’t want to rush him and then October time (last year) he started to show something, then I said I would keep him for this year.

‘
Benbatl could only manage a fifth-place finish in the Juddmonte at York in his last run in August but Suroor says there were good reasons why he was well beaten that day.


He added: ‘The last race for him in England was the Juddmonte and he was unlucky that day as the horse in behind him hit him and he had big cuts on both legs.

He was really bleeding after the race and I think that is why he finished fifth.

‘
Benbatl has been drawn in stall three for the Cox Plate, while Winx goes out of six.

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