Behemoth Stands Tall to Retain Memsie Crown

The Oxford English Dictionary describes a behemoth as 'something that is very big or powerful, especially a company or organization' and the equine Behemoth not only exhibited a display of unrivaled strength in his performance in winning the Aug. 28 Moet & Chandon Memsie Stakes (G1) at Caulfield, but, with this his third group 1 success, is also amassing a burgeoning list of elite-level entities to rival a business giant, as he became the first horse since Sunline  (2000-01) to win back-to-back editions of the Memsie Stakes, and now looks likely to bid to become the first horse to win both the Memsie and Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (G1) in consecutive years. 

The horses that ran 1-2 in the James Squire Spring Stakes (G3) at Morphettville earlier this month filled the first two spaces in the Memsie, as the David Jolly-trained Behemoth led home a memorable day for neighboring South Australia, with Will Clarken's Beau Rossa chasing home the 6-year-old gelding to take second.

Group 2 winner Beau Rossa was kept in a pocket by his state counterpart, with winning jockey Brett Prebble delivering the first run on the son of All Too Hard, one that proved the decisive move as Behemoth circumnavigated a three-wide trip around the bend to just hold off the challenge of his two-year younger rival, going on to win by a neck, with three-time group 1 winner Tofane running on for third a further half-length back, as she made an encouraging start to her Ladbrokes Cox Plate (G1) campaign.

"It was a great race to watch," said Jolly from Morphettville. "Probably like the Spring Stakes, things changed complexion. 

"I thought we were in a great spot early, and then they really dropped anchor and I did say to Brett this morning, 'At least where you're drawn, you might be able to cruise around them and maybe you'll have some horses on the inside that you can tuck away and make your move when you want to make your move,' and that's exactly how it panned out. He probably went a little bit early but I think he had to given the tempo.

"I don't think he's at full fitness yet for the 14 (hundred meters, about seven furlongs). He's probably got a little bit to go and maybe that might have tolled on him late. But we're only early in the spring. A bit like last time, I thought his third run was the best, and I think that's going to happen this time with this third, fourth run. 

"We'll discuss it with Sam (Lyons) and we'll see what weight he gets but I think we'll probably go there (Rupert Clarke Stakes)."

Behemoth's triumph was in no small part to the perfectly executed ride of former champion jockey Prebble, who saw his Melbourne record of wins in a season shattered by Jamie Kah and her 105 victories for the 2020-21 campaign. However, the 43-year-old profited from Kah's misdemeanors Saturday to record his first Australian group 1 win since Green Moon 's Emirates Melbourne Cup (G1) success in 2012.

Kah was slapped with a three-month ban for attending a gathering at a Mornington Airbnb on Wednesday night, contrary to state lockdown rules, leaving the ride on Behemoth vacant, and Prebble, who has nine wins at a 22% strike rate to begin the new season, delivered an emotional post-race interview. 

"It's a good feeling, that's pretty special," Prebble said. "I wasn't actually sure he got there, I reckon he needed the run.

"That's racing," said Prebble, reflecting on the last 24 hours in which he not only picked up the ride on Behemoth but also Caulfield Cup (G1) favorite Incentivise. 

"There's highs and lows and I've had them all. It's easy to be a champion once but it's hard to do it multiple times. This is what we all strive for and you've got to work for it. And I have worked for it. It hasn't come out of turn."

The victory for Behemoth wrote another chapter in the incredible story of the gelding, who was picked up as a gangly, brute of a yearling for just AU$6,000 (US$4,504) at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale by Grand Syndicates' Sam Lyons, and has now collected over AU$3.2 million in prize money, winning 10 of his 24 starts, a haul which includes three group 1 successes and a further five victories in stakes company.

The leading progeny for All Too Hard in last year's standings, as the first month of the new season reaches its conclusion, victory in Saturday's AU$1 million Memsie Stakes for Behemoth has propelled his sire, who broke into the top 10 in the sires premiership last season, to sit top of the table at the month's end.

The Vinery Stud stallion ended last season with five stakes winners of 11 black-type races and is among three stallions to break the AU$1 million barrier in earnings for the 2021-22 campaign.