New chapter for prolific broodmare

A new chapter in champion broodmare Beninjurd’s (Art Major) decorated stud career begins at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.

Her youngest daughter Elysian Jay (American Ideal) makes her race debut in the two-year-old pacing fillies’ classic, the $24,000 TAB Sapling Stakes (1720m).

Elysian Jay, trained by Emma Stewart at Cardigan, is the seventh foal of Beninjurd to get to the races and has some massive footsteps to follow in.

She is a full-sister to former top juvenile Centenario, who won 11 of 27 starts including the 2018 Group 1 two-year-old APG and Vicbred Super Series double.

Her other siblings include star four-year-old mare Tough Tilly (by Captaintreacherous), a winner of 11 races including the 2020 Group 1 Vicbred Super Series as a two-year-old, 2021 Group 1 APG title as a three-year-old and this season’s Group 1 APG final for four-year-old mares.

Craig Judd from Benstud Standardbreds, which bred and own Elysian Jay, is confident the filly will live up to her family’s reputation.

“She’s a beautiful filly. She’s tall and lean,” he said.

“She will take time though.

“Whatever she does this season, we expect her to be a lot better as a three-year-old.”

Judd said they had deliberately taken their time in getting Elysian Jay to the races, allowing her to mature.

He said she had been broken in by his brother-in-law Mark Commadeur at Benstud’s Victorian property at Katunga in the Goulburn Valley and had a couple of preparations under his guidance, as well as a few stints with Sam Hewitt in New South Wales where the main base of their breeding operation is at Crookwell.

Judd said the original plan was to get her to the trials about now and then spell her without racing.

He said they had decided to go to the Sapling Stakes on the recommendation of Emma Stewart, who was delighted with her progress.

“Emma said she’s going well, so we’ll give her the one start and then tip her out and bring her back for the Breeders Crown,” he said.

“We’re not going to put any pressure on her.”

Like Tough Tilly, Elysian Jay will ultimately go to the breeding barn at Benstud in the hope of emulating her dam’s deeds.

And what a stud career Beninjurd has had, made all the better by the fact she almost did not live to see her first birthday after being kicked in a knee when three months old.

“She almost didn’t make it. She was lucky to be saved,” Judd said.

“We kept her, bred from her and the rest is history.”

While Beninjurd did not race as a result of injury, her progeny have lived up to the performances of full brother Philadelphia Man, who won multiple Group 1s in a career which featured 24 victories.

And there is more to come from the great mare yet.

With a full-brother of Elysian Jay being sold for $150,000 at this year’s Nutrien Equine standardbred yearling sale in Sydney, Beninjurd is in foal to Bettors Delight.

Judd said hopefully Beninjurd would be able to produce four of five more foals before handing on the baton to her daughters.

For complete Melton Saturday fields, click here.

by David Brehaut, for HRV