Cover image courtesy of Racing SA and The Rising Sun Photography
“It’s very exciting. We feel blessed to have her in our lives,” said Campbell when describing G1 Australasian Oaks winner Benagil (Manhattan Rain), the first foal of Des Moines (War), who was bred by Blue Gum Farm’s previous owner Philip Campbell with partners and has been retained by them to race.
Homebred for the Campbell family
“I have a long history with the family. I bought the great-granddam Delgara as a tried horse at an Oaklands sale, and that’s where it all start. We bred Inkster who won a St. Leger and was third in the Group 3 South Australia Oaks which is called something else now, the South Australia Fillies Classic, or similiar.”
Delgara (Delgado {USA}), winner of the Listed John D Lee Stakes, cost Campbell $32,000 in 1999, and yes, he got the name change of Inkster (Umatilla)’s placing correct. “It was interesting when we bred Delgara to Umatilla, we got a nice staying mare. Inkster was a monster, a really big mare but she natural ability which she could carry over a trip.”
Inkster | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Inkster won five races from 2050 metres to 2800 metres, and produced four winners including Des Moines who won over 1200 metres.
“We bred Des Moines from Inkster and kept her to race. She was a magnificent looking filly, all speed. Probably a speedy squib if I’m honest, and amazing that a staying mare could produce such speed, except that Umatilla was a speed colt. He was bred to be a Derby colt, but he had wind issues.
“I was very involved with him, he was bought by a good client of ours as a yearling, and it was decided that his wind problems weren’t worth surgery as he was a brilliant speed horse, but it meant that he didn’t get the chance to stay. He did throw an Adelaide Cup winner for us, Bohemiath, and a Sydney Cup winner, and had a strong influence as a staying sire.”
Umatilla (NZ) stood at Blue Gum Farm where he sired 33 stakes winners including six Group 1 winners, led by dual Group 1 winner Sincero.
The late Umatilla (NZ) | Image courtesy of Blue Gum Farm
“I bred Des Moines to Manhattan Rain as I was interested in duplicating Dancing Show which I’ve done in all her matings.
“This filly, Benagil, was an absolute cracker. Her physicality was such that I thought I might be sell for 20 or 30 grand on her pedigree at the sales, but on physical she was 10 out of 10. If you speak to anyone who sees her, she really does have a presence and strength about her, and we are glad we decided not to sell.
“I’ve got two very good friends who have interests in Des Moines, and they love racing horses, so it was an easy decision to keep her, as we were ecstatic with the physical product and so we didn’t even try to sell her. I’ve been in racing long enough to know that it’s not that easy and a good looking horse is no guarantee, but we felt we had odds in our favour as she was such a nice style of filly. It’s a real filly’s family too that we’ve had a lot of success with.
“After the win, Glen told us, ‘this filly will win better races than this’."
Winner of four of her 10 starts, and over $1.13 million, Benagil was an unbeaten 2-year-old, winning both her starts, then had four starts in the spring including an unlucky fifth in the G1 MRC Thousand Guineas. This autumn she won the VOBIS Platinum Guineas, was second in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes, and won the G1 Australasian Oaks.
"The Australasian Oaks is a race I’ve always had an interest in and watched. We ran second in the Vinery and the ATC Oaks was there. It would’ve been easy to have a crack at that over 2400 metres but South Australia (over a shorter trip of 2000 metres) was always on our radar, even from the time she was very unlucky in the Guineas, we knew we had something, and Ballymore’s racing manager Anthony Feroce said, this was the race for her.
“Running in the Vinery wasn’t necessarily on the agenda, but we thought it was worth a crack timing wise. She ran super and we never considered the Oaks up there (in Sydney). This is such a great race, some great fillies have won it and now she has he name on the trophy.”
Patti and Philip Campbell | Image courtesy of Blue Gum Farm
Des Moines missed in 2022 and 2024, but the Campbells have retained her yearling filly to race.
“We have a King’s Legacy filly at the breakers, and she has Dancing Show coming through again through King’s Legacy’s sire Redoute’s Choice. Unfortunately she missed to him again, so is carrying an early covering to Rubick. He’s also closely related to Manhattan Rain and Redoute’s Choice. She’s down to go to Snitzel this year. She’s shown us she has the capacity to throw a nice horse and we’ll up the ante with her this year.
“The filly will be staying with Glen Thompson after Ballymore finishes up at the end of this month. The decision is definite and we will keep her with Glen. She’s come through the run super, is bright and happy and alert, so we will push on to the Doomben Roses and the Queensland Oaks to round off her campaign. Her racing has been well spaced, and she thrives on that.”
First Group 1 winner for the trainer
Trainer Glen Thompson won his first Group 1 as a trainer with 3-year-old filly Benagil on Saturday in the G1 Australasian Oaks. He previously trained in partnership with Mike Moroney, with the partnership forming in June 2024, having been his assistant trainer prior to that.
“I’ve been privileged to train a horse like her. She’s a lovely filly who thrives on the work. She been doing a fair bit of travelling, and nothing fazes her. I think she’ll win more races at this level,” said Thompson.
“She’s (Benagil) a lovely filly who thrives on the work. She been doing a fair bit of travelling, and nothing phases her. I think she’ll win more races at this level.” - Glen Thompson
“We will give her a few days to see how she comes through the trip (to Adelaide). She arrived home last night in good order, and has coped well so we might go to Brisbane to the Oaks up there. I’ll wait until the end of the week before making a decision.”
A 3-year-old daughter of Manhattan Rain, Benagil is from the second-last crop produced at Manhattan Rain’s time at Blue Gum Farm where he stood for $13,200 inc GST that season. Sire of 19 stakes winners, Benagil is his third Group 1 winner.
“I haven’t had much to do with the Manhattan Rain horses. I’m very happy to have this one! I’d say she’s thrown more to the dam side. Her mother was a good-looking horse like her and her granddam won a St Leger or similar, so gets the staying genes from there.”
Glen Thompson | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
A difficult few months
Respected co-trainer Mike Moroney died in his sleep on February 27 after a long battle with illness. At the start of April, it was announced that Ballymore Stables would cease operations at the end of the month, and Lindsay Park Racing would take over the lease on the Chicquita Lodge stables at Flemington, leaving Thompson without any boxes.
“It’s been a rough time of late, especially the last few weeks, with lots of change going on. And it was certainly an emotional day to get a result like this on my own. The win shows that I’m up to the task and hopefully, I can get some good support going forward from new clients.
“It looks like I’ll get 19 boxes at Flemington and hopefully can get some good support from people. Several of the old owners have promised to send me a horse, so I hope to fill the boxes quickly, then I can focus on my results going forward and keep training winners.
“It’s a bit of uncertainty at the moment, but you’ve got to back yourself.”
“It’s a bit of uncertainty at the moment, but you’ve got to back yourself.” - Glen Thompson
Thompson’s next runner will be 3-year-old gelding Brandjam (Alabama Express) who resumes on Cranbourne on Friday night. “His two runs last prep were good. He has nice ability and it will be interesting to see how he measures up.”
Manhattan Rain’s third Group 1 winner
Manhattan Rain moved to West Australia’s Giesel Park Stud in 2022, where his oldest crop are yearlings. As well as G1 Australasian Oaks winner Benagil, Manhattan Rain sired G2 Tobin Bronze Stakes-second Sabaj at the same meeting, and in Victoria on Saturday, New York Lustre took his record to five in a row.
Manhattan Rain | Standing at Geisel Park Stud
“He had a fantastic weekend with a few winners and topped off with a Group 1 winner. Any weekend like that is pretty special,” said Connor Dunlop, the Stud Manager at Geisel Park Stud.
“It’s coming into his fourth season with us. He’s covered nice books of mare here. They haven’t been huge numbers but have all been nice types. His first crop here will be racing age soon, and after the weekend, everyone is pretty excited with a bit of buzz around him.
“It’s the best time of year to get one (Group 1 winner). People are making decisions on where to send mares, and Benagil looks a lovely young progressive horse with plenty more where that win came from."
