Founded in 2007 by the Judd family, Benstud Standardbreds has become one of the country’s leading nurseries for producing classic-winning juveniles and Grand Circuit performers.
The farm’s honour roll includes champions Bling It On, Catch A Wave, Baby Bling, Captain Ravishing, Tough Tilly, Bella’s Delight, Philadelphia Man and Arcee Phoenix, to name only a few.
It has been the birthplace of no less than 14 individual Vicbred Super Series champions. They are the two-year-old colts Heza Son Of Agun (2021) and Centenario (2018), the two-year-old fillies Tough Tilly (2020) and Niki No No (2014), the three-year-old colts Petracca (2023), Catch A Wave (2022), Pacifico Dream (2020) and Philadelphia Man (2012), the three-year-old fillies Sahara Breeze (2023) and Bella’s Delight (2011), and the four-year-old mare Bella’s Delight (2012).
On the trotting side, the two-year-olds Princess Phoenix (2015) and Eljaykay Phoenix (2014), and the four-year-olds Arcee Phoenix (2023) and Queen Of Crime (2021), were all bred and raised at Benstud.
Benstud Standardbreds has a golden opportunity to add to its imposing tally with runners in six of the eight Group 1 APG Vicbred Finals for two and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits at Melton on Saturday night.
The Katunga nursery has three finalists in the $150,000 decider for three-year-old pacing fillies in Rachel’s Legacy, Conciliate and My Bettor Half, and three in the $100,000 final for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in I Choose You, Timmy Whiz and Unclad.
It is dually represented in the $150,000 decider for three-year-old pacing colts in the heat winners Enjoy Life and Cardigan Dan, while it has single entries in the $150,000 two-year-old pacing finals in the heat winner Smack Bang Bart (colt) and Decoupage (filly), the $100,000 two-year-old trotting males’ decider in Brother Thomas, and the $100,000 three-year-old fillies’ final, Gladiatrix.
• Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms bred three heat winners in the trotting section of the Vicbred Super Series: three-year-old fillies Queen Of Sees and Jilliby Aura, and two-year-old filly Bumper Crop.
• Parwan enthusiast Frank Cauchi owned a pair of Vicbred winners in the three-year-old pacer Sweet Irish Loch and the two-year-old trotter Insulator.
• The two-year-old Twigstar, who won on debut at Cranbourne last Sunday, was bred and is raced by local identities Derek and Sandra Harrington.
