Benbaun heading to Curragh
Benbaun has been handed a Group Three assignment at the Curragh on Sunday after he was withdrawn from the VC Bet Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
Mark Wallace’s consistent sprinter, runner-up on his last four starts, was scratched from the Group One heat after 10 millimetres of rain fell on the Knavesmire yesterday evening.
Wallace is now looking forward to running him on better ground in the Nolan & Brophy Auctioneers Flying Five Stakes at the weekend, a race the Stravinsky gelding won 12 months ago.
“There would have been no point running him at York what with the rain they’ve had,” explained the Newmarket-based handler.
“It would have been a tough one had it not rained because it was drying out, but then again it was still gluey ground and he wouldn’t really have wanted that either.
“He’s in at the Curragh on Sunday and the ground is pretty good there. The forecast is pretty good too so he’ll definitely go for that one instead.
“Pat Smullen has ridden him three times before and will probably do so again. I’d be confident of a very good run if the ground was right.”
If Benbaun runs with credit on Sunday, Wallace revealed the five-year-old could enter the frame for the Sprinters Stakes in Japan on October 1, the penultimate leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.
He added: “We’ll see how he goes on Sunday and we might go to Japan after that because he should get the fast ground out there and won’t mind six furlongs either.”
