After witnessing his homebred filly Overreach enter Golden Slipper calculations with a dominant win in the Listed Widden Stakes, Altomonte watched on as his runners Bennetta and Ichihara fought out the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes.
It was the Grahame Begg-trained Bennetta that carried the day. It was her third consecutive win and she did it in style.
With James McDonald in the saddle Bennetta powered home to defeat Ichihara by 1-3/4 lengths with another half-length back to VRC Oaks (G1) Heroin Dear Demi in third.
Her winning sequence began at Canterbury before a resounding victory in the Magic Millions Fillies and Mares Handicap on the Gold Coast on January 12.
“She’s going in the right direction,” Begg said. “it’s good to tick that box because the Magic Millions is a restricted race so going towards the Coolmore (Classic) it was good to win a Group race today.
Passed in when failing to make her $80,000 reserve at the 2011 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling sale, Bennetta is the fourth foal of the winning Redoute’s Choice mare Diva’s Magic a half-sister to Listed Stakes winner Cyberiad (Spinning World).
Granddam Trisadive (Sir Tristram) is a daughter of the smart race mare Belle Chanson (Biscay) whose five wins include the Group 1 Australasian Oaks.
After failing to leave a live foal in two seasons since Bennetta, Diva’s Magic foaled a Charge Forward filly in November. She was bred back to the George Altomonte-bred Golden Slipper winner Sebring last year.
Bennetta becomes the 45th stakes-winner for her sire General Neydim who died in January 2009 after ten season at stud.