Go Racing claim the UK’s richest maiden race
New Zealand-based global syndicators Go Racing were in great spirits early on Saturday morning following Benjamin Hornigold’s impressive two length win in the United Kingdom’s richest maiden race, the £100,000 British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes (7f), at the York Ebor Festival.
At just his first race day appearance, the cleverly named Benjamin Hornigold was exemplary in the time honoured and hotly contested race, earning a glowing review from his jockey Colin Keane and connections.
“He’s a lovely big colt,” Keane said. “There was a bit of a rush on for the first couple of furlongs, but he relaxed into it straight away and it worked out well, we went up the middle and got in amongst horses.
“He never over raced, never tried to do anything wrong, and when I asked him, he got down and he galloped.
“He went through the line strong and took a good bit of pulling up, he feels like a big powerful colt.
“It was a soft tacky ground, which he doesn’t ideally want but he’s such a strong colt that he gets through it, he’ll prefer a sounder surface, and he won’t have a problem going an extra furlong.”
A two-year-old from the first crop of Coolmore’s champion juvenile Blackbeard (No Nay Never), is one of a dozen Go Racing runners trained by Joseph O’Brien and testament to their dual hemisphere racing strategy.
“We’ve had great success buying young horses in Europe to target their black-type races as two and three-years-old, before joining champion trainer Chris Waller in Australia.
“Next month, Joseph will bring one of those horses, Omni Man to Australia for the Caulfield Cup before transferring to Chris.
“It gives our syndicate members the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds and enjoy these major racing festivals as owners.”
Syndicate members Barry and Marie Patton, all the way from Invercargill at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island, were amongst the large crowd in attendance at York on Friday.
Bred by Capricorn S A, Benjamin Hornigold is out of the multiple race-winning High Chaparral mare Greta, he was purchased by Go Racing in partnership with Blandford Bloodstock for €50,000 from the Tattersall’s Ireland Breeze Up Sale in May.
“He’s a proper horse and it was a very exciting win. His data was superb, he had a peak velocity of 38.52mph, an average stride of 7.56 and max stride of 7.92,” Bosma said.
The Go Racing camp are now eyeing bigger treasure him as he is likely to make his next appearance in the Gr.2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket on September 26.
Watch a replay of the race here.