Vinery Stud’s Benicio
There can’t be too many examples of full-siblings being bred and racing in different hemispheres, but Prepared’s debut at Newmarket on July 23 was noteworthy for just this reason. The British-bred Godolphin filly is a sister to the Australian-bred Victoria Derby winner Benicio.
Now nine, Benicio was the result of his sire More Than Ready’s first season at Vinery Stud in New South Wales, where Benicio was bred and now stands as a stallion in his own right.
His dam Mannington was subsequently purchased by Sheikh Mohammed for A$2,050,000 – a then Australian record price for a broodmare – in foal to Red Ransom in 2005. By Danehill and a Group 3 winner herself at two, Mannington is a daughter of the Golden Slipper winner Bint Marscay.
Covered by More Than Ready at Vinery’s American farm in 2008, Mannington was then shipped to Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud in the UK where she foaled Prepared. The first foal she produced under the Darley banner – the Red Ransom filly Romneya – became a dual Group winner in Australia for Lee Freedman, who has a long association with the family, having also trained Benicio and Bint Marscay.
