Behemoth has thrown down the gauntlet to Melbourne’s spring stars with an authoritative victory in the 1400m Memsie Stakes Gr.1 at Caulfield.

Saturday’s weight-for-age sprint traditionally opens the Group 1 calendar in Victoria and the heavyweight son of Vinery sire All Too Hard signalled his carnival credentials for trainer David Jolly and jockey Craig Williams.

Behemoth tracked a quick clip set by Vinery graduate Begood Toya Mother before peeling off his heels and accelerating to a comfortable win over Mr Quickie and Glenfiddich.  “That was just brilliant,” Jolly said from his home-base in South Australia.  “When he landed in the right spot I thought he would be hard to beat.

“We haven’t over-taxed him and he certainly wasn’t screwed down for today.  I told Craig to be aggressive from an inside gate and it worked out so well.  I would have loved to have been there.”

Behemoth was going to continue his spring prep from the Denistoun Park stables of Jason Warren on the Mornington peninsula but Jolly has elected to take him back home.  “There’s nothing wrong with staying over but there’s easy access to the beach here and he’s a good traveller.  We aren’t too sure whether to run him in two or three weeks and we can probably make a better call on that from here.”

All Too Hard sired the 600kg giant from Flemington Stakes winner Penny Banger (Zedrich) and the Memsie prizemoney sent his earnings north of $1.32million for Grand Syndications. It was his third attempt at the elite level after weighing in for the last two Goodwoods at Morphettville.

Breeder Linda Monds loved Behemoth from Day 1 at Tyreel Stud.  “He was absolutely one of the biggest foals we’ve had and he also had such a big personality,” she recalled.  “It just proves once again that Group 1 winners can come in all shapes and sizes.”

Behemoth is the second Group 1 winner for All Too Hard following Alligator Blood and the Vinery sire is now second on the Australian sires’ table behind Snitzel.  He will consolidate second spot behind the reigning champion if Behemoth continues his hit-and-run strike-rate at the Caulfield carnival.  He has firmed into TAB favouritism for the Rupert Clarke Stakes ($4.50) and Toorak Hcp ($6) worth a combined $1million.

All Too Hard stands at Vinery at an unchanged fee of $27,500 (inc. GST) this year payable on a live foal.  For bookings or further information, please contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).

Casino Prince, the ever-consistent statesman on the Vinery roster, had a bumper weekend, siring three winners on Saturday and another three on Sunday – more winners in Australasia than any other sire.

Saturday
The Candy Man (2013 G x Melody) – 1st BRC TAB Quality 1400m – trained by Barry Baldwin.
Joymaker (2015 M x Wurood) – 1st BRC Membership Renewal Hcp 2200m – trained by Kelly Schweida.
She’s Crowned (2014 M x Chapter Five) – 1st Toowoomba Mitavite P. 870m – trained by Patrick Sexton.

Sunday 
Fiveash (2015 M x Royal Wit) – 1st Mudgee Gooree Park P. 1850m – trained by Terry Fulwood.
Rogue Runner (2013 G x Pcean Bridge) – 1st Mudgee Twin Hills Hcp. 1200m – trained by Rodney Robb.
Lim’s Pride (2014 G x Open Cut) – 1st Singapore Super Easy S. 1600m – trained by Steven Burridge.

It all kicked off with the people’s horse , The Candy Man, who will this week transfer to Team Hawkes in Sydney for a Group 1 campaign aimed at the $1million Epsom Hcp (1600m) at Randwick on October 3.

The Queensland cult hero booked a ticket south after winning the TAB Quality (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.  Anchored with 61kg, the almost white son of Casino Prince had a neck to spare from in-form mare Skate To Paris.

The Candy Man (7g Casino Prince – Melody by Stravinsky) responded to the loud support of his fans to make it 11 wins from 23 starts with $514,850 in prizemoney.  He has some unfinished business in Sydney having failed in the 2019 Epsom.  “I made a mistake last year and I’ve prepared him a lot different this time,” trainer Barry Baldwin said.  “He’s done more work and and a lot more swimming.

“I just hope he proves he’s as good as we think he is this time around.  He’s put on an extra 25kg and it’s all muscle.”

“He’s a bit of character and was always travelling like a winner,” jockey Brad Stewart said.  “I probably could have got through between the two leaders but I took him wide for more room.” Read more here.

Mossman led the way for the Vinery old-guard on Saturday when his mare Diamond Effort was a first-up winner of The Heath Gr.3 at Caulfield.

The Clint McDonald-trained sprinter is unbeaten in her last five starts and among the picket-fence of wins was the Hareeba Stakes LR at Mornington in March.  “We were really confident coming into today,” McDonald said.  “We’ve got the (Gr.1) Moir Stakes in mind and she will be even better if it’s a wet track.”

Mossman was pensioned in 2018 and Diamond Effort will join his Group 1 roll-call that includes Buffering, Mossfun, Miss Mossman, Plucky Belle and Ofcourseican if she is successful at Moonee Valley on September 25.

Ofcourseican won a Coolmore Classic Gr.1 at Rosehill and her 4yo staying son Persan can build on the family tradition after winning the Neds Hcp (2400m) earlier on Saturday at Caulfield. Read more here.