One to Watch – Benalla

Tara Madgwick - Tuesday February 20

There aren’t many grey horses by So You Think, but we saw one win on debut at Benalla on Tuesday and the horse he beat is a half-brother to boom filly Learning to Fly.

Do Think So wins on debut at Benalla - image Jay Town / Racing Photos

Trained by Robbie Griffiths and Matthew De Kock, Do You Think So is a big strapping three year-old gelding by So You Think that has taken time to mature, but ability is obviously not lacking as he was sent out a well backed favourite for the 1600m maiden.

He hit the line strongly for Jamie Mott to surge clear and win by a length and a half over Royal Pharoah, the four year-old half-brother by American Pharoah (USA) to Learning to Fly.

Jamie Mott was well pleased with the effort of Do You Think So.

“He was really professional, paraded well and went to the gates good,” he said.

“The plan was to travel midfield with cover, but he began great and I saw an opportunity to get outside the leader and once we got there he didn’t really known how to travel on the tempo.

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“Coming to the corner he came off the bridle and I thought we were in a little bit of trouble, but to his credit he just didn’t know what I was asking and then he dug in and wanted to fight and ended up winning really well.”

Do You Think So was a $120,000 Inglis Easter purchase.

Do You Think So was a modest $120,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Coolmore for MDK International / Vermaak Equine and is the second winner from Greta G (USA) an Argentinian Group I winner by the Danzig stallion Exchange Rate from a family that bristles with Group I winners.

Greta G was on-sold through an Inglis Digital Online Sale last year for just $7,000 to Michael Hickmott Bloodstock and produced a colt by Churchill (IRE) last spring for her new owners before going to Hitotsu.

For the record if you are wondering about grey progeny of So You Think, go no further than his Group I winning son D'Argento, now a promising young sire for Bowness Stud. 

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Race Result - Burtons IGA Mdn Plate 1606m

Benalla Track: Good(3) Time: 1:36.69
1
Do You Think So
- 3g So You Think (NZ) x Greta G (ARG) (Exchange Rate (USA))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: J Mott 59
2
1.5
Royal Pharoah
- 4g American Pharoah (USA) x Ennis Hill (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: D J McCarthy Rdr: Tahlia Hope 59.5
3
1.7
Night Action
- 3g Savabeel (AUS) x Yu Long Bao Ma (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: L Kennewell & L Yeomans Rdr: Zac Spain 59
4
1.8
Kuroshinzo
- 4g Mikki Isle (JPN) x Close To My Heart (IRE) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Luke Oliver Rdr: W Egan 59.5
5
2.2
The Hindustan
- 3g Savabeel (AUS) x My Country (IRE) (Invincible Spirit (IRE))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: Declan Bates 59
6
2.4
Gaelic Thunder
- 4g Toronado (IRE) x Irish Rose (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: A W Noonan Rdr: J Noonan 59.5
7
4.2
Dusty's Reward
- 5g Reset (AUS) x Obscurity (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: Ms E Haworth Rdr: A Lynch 59.5
8
4.9
Golden Lotus
- 3f Palentino (AUS) x Pan Jinlian (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Ms W Kelly Rdr: Teodore Nugent 57
9
5.7
Son Of A Boom
- 3g Boom Time (AUS) x Laurenstar (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: Ben Brisbourne Rdr: Lachlan King 59
10
6.9
Sugarloaf
- 3g Casino Prince (AUS) x Pineapple (AUS) (Starcraft (NZ))
Tnr: Craig Weeding Rdr: Logan McNeil 59
11
7.3
Ariarne
- 4m Cable Bay (IRE) x Versos De Amor (AUS) (Lope De Vega (IRE))
Tnr: N J Dyer Rdr: Neil Farley 57.5
12
12.3
Fuji
- 3g Shooting To Win (AUS) x Lady Montoya (AUS) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: Craig Weeding Rdr: J Duffy 59
13
16.6
Thrill Ofthe Fight
- 5g Street Boss (USA) x Eye Of The Tiger (AUS) (Hold That Tiger (USA))
Tnr: Nathan Newton Rdr: C J Parish 59.5
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