Benfica Princess after first open victory

Thursday 16 April 2020, 12:45pm

Tough mare Benfica Princess's consistent form has earned her an extra year of racing before heading to the breeding barn.

Trainer Kelly Doughty has placed Benfica Princess to perfection and she has won nine races including a victory at Eagle Farm over 1840m last month.

However, she gets a chance to win her first open company race in the Might and Power Handicap (1800m) at the Gold Coast on Friday.

"I would love for her to win in open company as she has been so honest for us," Doughty said.

"Racing Queensland has given us a chance to run for metropolitan prize money and a win on Friday will look good on her record."

"Provided the race is run a genuine pace she should be hard to beat."

A six year old mare, Benfica Princess would normally be a prime candidate for stud later this year.

"I think she can have another year of racing and go to stud at the end of next year," Doughty said.

"She is sound and racing well so there really isn't a rush to get her to the (breeding) barn."

Doughty and her husband Gary are hoping for a family hometown track double on Friday.

Gary Doughty is the trainer of Time To Play who is third up in the Pink Horse Racing Handicap (1400m).

Time To Play has won five races at the Gold Coast and three of them were at 1400m.

He is out of the mare Eminence Grise who has produced several smart gallopers for the Doughtys including Black Cash and Time To Torque.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »