Beneteau quinella at Sydney 2YO Trials

A Newcastle-trained pair of fillies have given notice that Beneteau’s second and final crop is set to match the impact made by his first runners last season.

Twist Tops made it look easy  in Trial 5 at the Randwick 2YO Trials, taking control of proceedings after 300 metres and railing up smoothly to race away by 2.8 lengths from Arrowfield graduate Jeanneau (ex North Sea by Hussonet), with another 5 lengths back to Bella Vino. The time of 49.09 was third-fastest of the morning’s 12 juvenile trials, all held over 838 metres.

Watch the Beneteau trial quinella.

Twist Tops was bred by Bob Hannon, also the breeder of dual Group 1 winner Shamus Award, and is trained by Kris Lees for a partnership including Bob’s son David.

The filly is out of the smart city winner Imtops (by High Rolling), a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 winner Irish Darling, herself the dam of 2YO stakeswinner and young sire Fighting Sun. All are descended from one of New Zealand’s best racemares of the 1970s, Battle Eve (25 wins).

Jeanneau was bred and offered by Arrowfield at the Inglis Classic Sale where trainer Paul Perry bought her for $170,000, the second highest price paid for a filly at the sale. Her dam, from the family of champion sire Storm Bird and his sister, champion Canadian filly Northernette, has a 3YO filly, American At Sea (by All American), and a yearling colt by Smart Missile.

Beneteau (by Redoute’s Choice) was second on last season’s Australian First Season Sires’ premiership by earnings, winners & wins, but died in January 2013, leaving only 135 live foals, 49 of them in his second crop.