Brilliant Hellbent mare Benedetta returned in winning form at Flemington on Saturday paving the way for a return to Black Type racing this spring.
Trained by Jason Warren, Benedetta won four successive races last preparation including the $750,000 VRC Inglis Sprint before finishing third in the Listed VRC Sunlight Classic to boom colt What You Need.
First up from a spell in the Benchmark 84 event over 1100m, Benedetta came with a well timed burst to score a neck win for Tatum Bull taking her overall record to five wins from seven starts with prizemoney topping $730,000.
"It was a textbook ride," Warren said.
"It is nice to see Benedetta come back and do the job and she was only about 80 per-cent wound up."
Warren indicated Benedetta would most likely have a month between runs with her next outing being the Group III MRC Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield before looking at a potential Sydney campaign.
Benedetta runs in the famous colours of Laurence Eales that were carried by Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and was a $75,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Eales Racing Syndications from the Mill Park draft.
A half-sister to Group II placed Whatfox, she was bred by Brenton and Liz Parker and is the second winner from Group II placed Domesday mare Whatalovelyday, who comes from the family of Group I winners Leica Guv, Light Fantastic and Pharoah. Mill Park sold a Rubick colt from Whatalovelyday at Magic Millions this year for $130,000 to Henry Dwyer Racing and she has a colt by King's Legacy to follow.
Benedetta looms as a potential new stakes-winner for Hellbent, who is fully booked at a fee of $38,500 at Yarraman Park this spring.
