The 2020 Memsie Stakes results went the way of the punters with David Jolly’s hulking South Australian raider Behemoth franking the form out of Morphettville with a big win in the Group 1 at Caulfield.
Behemoth (pictured in Adelaide) was too good for his rivals in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
The fairy tale continued for connections of the in-form All Too Hard gelding from Goolwa who backed up from a win in the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide to beat home a top-class field of rivals at weight-for-age in the Group 1 $750,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) in Melbourne.
Fourth in his last Group 1 test behind Trekking in The Goodwood over the winter, the five-year-old produced an improved effort over the 1400m of the Memsie to defeat the eye-catching runner-up in 2019 Queensland Derby winner Mr Quickie.
Running third to round out the Memsie Stakes trifecta was the returning Group 1 Champion Stakes runner-up Glenfiddich, the Fastnet Rock colt the first three-year-old in nearly a quarter of a century to line-up in the race.
The third placing was also a brilliant return to Group 1 racing for champion horseman Peter Moody and followed on from his blowout win in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes with his Caulfield Cup-nominated mare In Good Health.
Jockey Craig Williams celebrated his third Memsie Stakes success since 2006 aboard the powerhouse South Australian sprinter with the win by Behemoth following on from his previous victories with Miss Finland (2007) and Vega Magic (2017).
It was a perfectly-timed ride by Williams, now a 60-time Group 1 winning hoop, whose well-supported mount Behemoth ($3.30F) surged to the front at the 150m and ran on well to put one and a half lengths on Mr Quickie ($14).
A hot pace was set in the Memsie by Group 1 winners at the track Streets Of Avalon and Begood Toya Mother, but Williams was patient sitting just off the speed before charging up the middle to take advantage of Behemoth’s smart turn of foot over the final furlong.
For Jolly, it was his first time in a Group 1 winners’ circle in 18 years and to do it with a $6,000 bargain buy made the Memsie Stakes result that much more special.
The Group 1 $750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) Flemington on September 12 is the likely next-up option for Behemoth who looks suited to the mile.
Dissident (2014) was the last horse to complete the Memsie Stakes – Makybe Diva Stakes double.
All-in 2020 Makybe Diva Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au – available in full here – have the Memsie Stakes winner Behemoth at $15.
2020 Memsie Stakes Results
| Colour | Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 | 7 | BEHEMOTH | David Jolly | Craig Williams | 2 | 59kg | $3.30F | ||
 |
2 | 6 | MR QUICKIE | Phillip Stokes | Dwayne Dunn | 1.5L | 5 | 59kg | $14 | |
 |
3 | 15 | GLENFIDDICH | Peter G Moody | Craig Newitt | 2.25L | 10 | 50.5kg | $6 | |
 |
4 | 9 | CASCADIAN (GB) | James Cummings | Damien Oliver | 2.35L | 8 | 59kg | $6 | |
 |
5 | 4 | SO SI BON | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Daniel Stackhouse | 2.45L | 3 | 59kg | $21 | |
 |
6 | 10 | BEGOOD TOYA MOTHER | Daniel Bowman | Declan Bates | 2.85L | 7 | 59kg | $21 | |
 |
7 | 2 | HARLEM (GB) | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Jamie Mott | 3.6L | 6 | 59kg | $101 | |
 |
8 | 14 | PRINCESS JENNI (NZ) | David Brideoake | Ethan Brown | 3.8L | 12 | 57kg | $51 | |
 |
9 | 8 | ICONOCLASM | Danny O’Brien | Daniel Moor | 4.55L | 1 | 59kg | $81 | |
 |
10 | 11 | MYSTIC JOURNEY | Adam Trinder | Billy Egan | 5.55L | 4 | 57kg | $8 | |
 |
11 | 5 | STREETS OF AVALON | Shane Nichols | Ben Melham | 5.75L | 13 | 59kg | $15 | |
 |
12 | 1 | REGAL POWER | Grant & Alana Williams | William Pike | 5.85L | 9 | 59kg | $12 | |
 |
13 | 3 | GATTING | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 6.05L | 11 | 59kg | $31 | |
|
12 | ARCADIA QUEEN | Grant & Alana Williams | Damian Lane | 0 | |||||
|
13 | SAVATIANO | James Cummings | Mark Zahra | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
