Boncel Benjamin
The 2021 Australian Pacing Gold Grand Circuit season ended in the most dramatic fashion.
In the steward’s room.
Following twelve months of elite racing spread across the southern hemisphere, the Gr.1 $500,000 TAB Inter Dominion Pacing Grand Final at TABCORP Park, Menangle was the final leg of the six-race series.
With three rounds of the heats staged at Menangle, Bathurst and Newcastle – the 3009m final was tipped to be a battle between the stablemates King Of Swing and Expensive Ego, both prepared by the Cobbitty Equine team of Belinda and Luke McCarthy
Rising star Expensive Ego faired best with the draws after landing the inside gate while reigning Grand Circuit champion King Of Swing had to overcome a second line draw in the marathon event.
Naturally, they hogged all pre-race discussions.
Speedy beginner Boncel Benjamin and driver Josh Gallagher raced across from the wide draw to lead before surrendering to Expensive Ego within the first 200m of the event.
Driver David Moran allowed Expensive Ego to settle nicely in the leading role and ambled through a lead time of 104.7 seconds.
As the field passed the mile mark, the first move came via Spirit Of St Louis with King Of Swing immediately tracking the move forward.
With a lap left to run, Expensive Ego led the way from King Of Swing while Boncel Benjamin and Spirit Of St Louis landing perfect trails.
The first half of the final mile was covered in splits of 29.6 and 29.3 seconds.
Pressure started to build as Moran asked a little more from Expensive Ego approaching the home turn while King Of Swing was chased up by his driver Luke McCarthy.
The third quarter was timed in 26.9 seconds.
In the straight, things got interesting quickly when Expensive Ego easily dropped King Of Swing while Boncel Benjamin loomed as a genuine threat.
Expensive Ego drifted slightly up the track allowing Boncel Benjamin a peak at the pegs before coming back down to the marker line which prompted Boncel Benjamin to change direction.
At the line, Expensive Ego held on by a head margin from Boncel Benjamin while Alta Orlando (Jack Callaghan) followed inside runs to grab third place.
King Of Swing finished fifth.
The final split was covered in 25.9 seconds with the winning mile rate posted at 1:55.7.
But the race did not end there, an official protest was lodged by the connections of Boncel Benjamin claiming interference from Expensive Ego.
After a lengthy deliberation, the stewards made their decision.
Protest = upheld.
Boncel Benjamin was awarded the race over Expensive Ego with stewards of the belief that the interference was significant.
It is the first time an Inter Dominion winner has been decided via the steward’s room.
With Boncel Benjamin declared the winner, it provided trainer Jason Grimson and driver Josh Gallagher their biggest moment in the sport.
Heading into the event, Gallagher was the only driver who had not driven a Gr.1 winner previously.
Amazingly, Boncel Benjamin was competing in Victorian claiming events months earlier before joining the Menangle stables of Grimson.
After failing in the Minuteman FFA at Geelong back on September 4, the Grinfromeartoear – Alleluia Lombo gelding has relished the change of environment.
In 11 starts for Grimson, Boncel Benjamin has won three times while being placed in another six starts.
The six-year-old has earnings just shy of $500,000 for owner Julie Duffy.
Bred by Kaye Hartnett, Boncel Benjamin becomes the second Inter Dominion winner for Grinfromeartoear following the victory of former North American Mr Feelgood at the Gold Coast back in 2009.
Despite being unplaced for the first time in a Grand Circuit event, King Of Swing still takes the title of APG Grand Circuit Champion for the current season.
