Win special for Bennett

The win by Dragoness (Fear The Dragon) at Winton today was special for the horse’s owners Ian Bennett, his wife Diane and their extended family.

Their son Mark was tragically killed two years ago in a work accident and the Bennett family placed a headstone at his grave just yesterday.

Bennett who’s been breeding horses for close to fifty years, says Dragoness is close to being his 100^th winner.

Some of his best horses include On The Land (10), Lord Patrol, (11) Two Ply (12) and Maximan.

Maximan won twenty seven races and raced in the 2018 Interdominions.

Bennett also owned Benrodden.

“Ossie Throp sold out and had no room for his horses. He said if Soldier Girl had a colt I could have it. That was Benrodden. Maurice Skinner had him but the horse got badly injured. When Maurie had him he had another stallion called In Charge. They both got out and he (In Charge) chased Benrodden round the paddock. Benrodden got a great big knee out of it. It took eighteen months for it to come right. I rode him at lambing time then I gave him to Graeme Hale. They got him right and shod him properly with a weighted shoe on that crook knee.”

Benrodden won two for Skinner and a further seven for Hale before he was exported to America.

In today’s race, driver Rory McIIwrick took Dragoness straight to the top and she went on to win by a length and a quarter from Our Twinkle.

DRAGONESS REPLAY

“It’s a thrill really because I’ve had a couple of lean years,” Ian said.

The win highlighted the great conditioning skills of her Edendale trainer Craig Laurenson. Dragoness last raced at Riverton on the grass at the end of January.

“Craig’s very good at conditioning them. Both she and Sonny Jim (which ran third today) were turned out for three months together. According to the trainer she’s got a lot of ability and could be the best horse I’ve had. She’s the last horse I’ve bred.”

Bennett has been breeding from this family for over twenty years.

“The breed is very hard to handle and he’d (Laurenson) be one of the few trainers that has been able to handle them properly. They’ve got quirks. You’ve got to do it their way or you don’t do it at all. If you try to get them to do something and they don’t want to do it they just go doggy.”

Bennet has seen firsthand how Laurenson has learned to handle the family.

“I had a horse and it couldn’t be broken in or have shoes put on it. I turned him out for a year then gave him to Craig. It took them twelve months to shoe him. That was River Patrol. He won three races here and we sold him to Aussie. He started over 250 times over there. He didn’t win many but he was always second, third or fourth.”

Bennett still lives on the family farm in Te-Houka near Balclutha.

“I’ve been there seventy years. My son (Johnny) leases most of the farm but I’ve kept 100 acres. I fatten 100 cattle a year and I have the horses.”

In the last race today, Airwaves, also owned by Bennett and trained by Laurenson sat parked and finished second.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink