David Jolly’s hulking South Australian superstar Behemoth was too good again, dominating the 2020 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes results late off a luckless run with the top weight.
Behemoth (pictured in Adelaide) was too good for his rivals in the 2020 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
Last time out the brilliant All Too Hard five-year-old celebrated is first elite level success with a big win in Caulfield’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at weight-for-age.
The team were confident in the horse’s ability and opted to run him at the same track and distance under handicap conditions instead of stretching him at a mile in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at WFA again.
Behemoth gave the weight away to his rivals in the Sir Rupert carrying 60kg, but still went around the $3.80 favourite in betting to complete the Memsie – Sir Rupert double for the first time since Regal Roller (2004).
Ridden by last year’s Melbourne Cup winning hoop Craig Williams, who celebrated his 61st Group 1 win, Behemoth had no luck in the run getting held-up throughout.
He managed to squeeze through late however and once the gap opened, he let down brilliant with the hefty weight producing a barnstorming late turn of foot for a superb victory for the favourite backers.
It was Williams’ sixth win in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes following his previous victories aboard: Barely A Moment (2005), Rewaaya (2006), Response (2010), Toorak Toff (2011) and Stratum Star (2015).
On the line Behemoth defeated the ultra-brave pacemaker Dollar For Dollar ($26) who nearly looked like going all-the-way in a massive upset before being ed by the top elect in the final few strides.
Stablemate Pretty Brazen ($10), a half-sister to Dollar For Dollar, on the quick back-up was also excellent again to give Tony & Calvin McEvoy second and third in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes trifecta, the Brazen Beau mare having won the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) the weekend prior at Flemington.
A $6,000 bargain buy, Behemoth has now won more than $1.6 million in prize money and remains in contention for the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley next month.
All-in 2020 Cox Plate odds – available in full here – at race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au have Behemoth at $26.
2020 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Results
| Colour | Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 | 1 | BEHEMOTH | David Jolly | Craig Williams | 5 | 60kg | $3.80F | ||
 |
2 | 6 | DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Luke Nolen | 1L | 7 | 56.5kg | $26 | |
 |
3 | 13 | PRETTY BRAZEN | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Luke Currie | 1.1L | 10 | 54.5kg | $10 | |
 |
4 | 10 | ACHERNAR STAR | Lindsey Smith | Jamie Mott | 1.4L | 1 | 55.5kg | $51 | |
 |
5 | 9 | REYKJAVIK | Lindsey Smith | Dean Yendall | 1.6L | 11 | 56kg | $41 | |
 |
6 | 15 | TAGALOA | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Michael Walker | 1.8L | 12 | 54kg | $11 | |
 |
7 | 16 | BANQUO | Danny O’Brien | Jye McNeil | 1.9L | 6 | 54kg | $7 | |
 |
7 | 7 | MADAM ROUGE | Chris Waller | Ben Melham | 1.9L | 16 | 56kg | $21 | |
 |
9 | 8 | MANDELA EFFECT | Scott Brunton | Craig Newitt | 2.4L | 2 | 56kg | $51 | |
 |
10 | 11 | AGE OF CHIVALRY (NZ) | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Damian Lane | 2.5L | 13 | 55.5kg | $10 | |
 |
11 | 4 | CASCADIAN (GB) | James Cummings | Damien Oliver | 2.8L | 8 | 58kg | $8.50 | |
 |
12 | 5 | SUPERSTORM | Grant & Alana Williams | William Pike | 3.2L | 15 | 57kg | $11 | |
 |
13 | 3 | BEGOOD TOYA MOTHER | Daniel Bowman | Declan Bates | 3.4L | 4 | 58kg | $26 | |
 |
14 | 17e | HARLECH (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Michael Dee | 3.5L | 9 | 54kg | $26 | |
 |
15 | 2 | STREETS OF AVALON | Shane Nichols | Daniel Stackhouse | 6.25L | 14 | 58.5kg | $41 | |
 |
16 | 12 | DEBT AGENT (NZ) | Jim Conlan | Billy Egan | 21.25L | 3 | 54.5kg | $101 | |
 |
19e | GOLD FIELDS | Logan McGill | 0 | ||||||
 |
20e | RUNSON | Leon & Troy Corstens | 0 | ||||||
|
14 | ROHERYN | James Cummings | John Allen | 0 | |||||
 |
18e | I AM SUPERMAN (IRE) | Peter & Paul Snowden | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
