Racing
Benagil to bounce back in Queensland Oaks
Luck deserted Benagil in The Roses but connections are convinced she can make amends in an even bigger arena.
The Roses was a hard watch for Benagil's trainer Glen Thompson but he is optimistic the filly has come out the other side of it will make her presence felt in the Queensland Oaks.
The Group 1 winner had to be steadied to avoid heels in the first half of The Roses (2000m) then found herself behind a wall of horses rounding the home turn.
Just as she was making ground in the straight, she was hampered by a tiring horse, eventually finishing tenth and almost seven lengths from winner Philia.
"It was an absolute disaster," Thompson said.
"She copped it a fair bit. She came back with cuts all over her legs so it wasn't what she needed two weeks before an Oaks.
"But she seems to be really well now. She had a gallop (Saturday) morning. She seems nice and bright and she's on track."
The Roses was run at Doomben and Saturday's Queensland Oaks (2200m) will be on the more expansive Eagle Farm circuit.
Thompson expects that to also be a positive for Benagil and says her regular rider, Mark Zahra, concurs.
"I'm really looking forward to getting to Eagle Farm," Thompson said.
"Mark was very confident she'd be a completely different horse over the road. She's just going to need a bit more luck."
Benagil was a $5.50 chance on Friday, behind only The Roses winner Philia who was a $4.20 favourite.
The Oaks will be one of two classics at Eagle Farm on Saturday along with the Queensland Derby (2400m) which was to have been run last weekend but was postponed when heavy rain made the track unsafe for racing.
Victorian-trained gelding and South Australian Derby runner-up Statuario is a $6 top pick in an open betting race.
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