Despite a few pre-race dramas with a malfunctioning of the barriers causing a 50 minute delay, King Ben was able to put them aside to score a strong maiden win at Cranbourne over 1200m.
Although only his fourth career start, King Ben handled all that was unfolding around him, remaining calm and professional throughout.
The son of our stable star, Prussian Vixen, has shown a lot of ability at home and the team were confident of a very forward showing on Friday night. A great steer from Daniel Stackhouse put King Ben in a good position and as they entered the straight he strode to the front and from there was never headed.
It is now onwards and upwards for the 3yo gelding and with his career only in its early stages hopefully we can see him posting a few more wins in the coming months.
The win was particularly satisfying for Michael and Shannon as there is a great deal of emotional attachment to King Ben given they bred him, bred the Dam and brought the Grand Dam as a yearling.
To view King Ben&rsquo;s race,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2023-10-13/cranbourne/race/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

MJM Racing

No Friday the 13th curse for King Ben

Michael Mehegan

*Article by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racing.com/">Racing.com</a> 
Michael Mehegan is hoping his last-minute decision to raise the reserve on a colt out of his smart mare Prussian Vixen begins to pay dividends when that first foal, King Ben, makes his debut in the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush (1000m) at Bendigo on Saturday.
The Mornington-based trainer sent Prussian Vixen to Darley stallion Impending when she retired in 2019 and King Ben was the result.
Mehegan took the colt to last year's Melbourne Inglis Premier Sale and the only reason he still has him was that call to increase his reserve by $10,000.
"He got passed in at $160,000 with a live bid of $150,000 on him. We lifted the reserve from $150,000 on the morning as I thought I was going to buy a horse for $150,000, so why not keep him?" Mehegan said.
Mehegan races King Ben with his partner Shannon Zibell and his parents, and he also sold shares to a number of loyal owners including George and Deb Benyon.
He believes the now gelding has shown some of the talent his mother possessed, leading him to set the galloper for $1 million race The Showdown on April 15 at Ladbrokes Park Sandown Lakeside.
He lost some time with King Ben when he was gelded as he suffered an infection and had to head to the paddock for a short time, but Mehegan has been happy with his two jumpouts at Mornington and then at Balnarring.
"He was perfect there as that's a track that can bring young horses undone," Mehegan said of King Ben's handling of a tight track in the 750-metre hit-out at Balnarring.
"I've given him a serious gallop since, leading into this, and he looks like he made significant improvement. It was with either Cranbourne and a tighter track or the open spaces of Bendigo, which will suit him better.
"You would think the raced ones would be too good and there's eight first starters, so he warrants his chance. It's a restricted race.
"I feel he's got some of his mum's ability. He's been a bit difficult to handle. Clay Beasy has been riding him in trackwork as he needs someone to take control of him. He can be a little bit difficult but he's a real professional going to the races." As for Prussian Vixen, Mehegan remembers her career fondly.
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"It does seem that she was racing not that long ago. She was a pretty high-class mare who became a bit unreliable as she got older. She had a few tricks in her bag and she was a bit difficult to handle," Mehehgan said.
"She won two Group 3s and finished second in a photo in the Hareeba Stakes; she was a pretty good race mare."
Mehegan has 12 horses on his books, including six yearlings he purchased at the recent Premier Sales, while he has two other horses racing, Bencouver and Russian Benefits.
This will be Mehegan's second runner in the VOBIS Gold Rush, after Miss Inbetween finished seventh behind Swats That and Bella Nipotina in 2020 before going on to run fourth in The Showdown.
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Mehegan hoping $10,000 call pays off

After competing in some hot maidens over 1200m in his first two starts this prep, Bencouver appreciated the step up in distance to 1400m to score a dominate win in the Jack Melbourne Takes On Sportsbet Maiden at Pakenham tonight.
The team were thrilled to see the 3yo gelding by Vancouver finally race up to the potential he has been showing them at home. Given a great ride from jockey Jamie Mott, Bencouver took a sit just off the pace before pushing his way through to take the gap at the top of the straight. From there he was able to accelerate past the leader and put several lengths on them to come away with the win by 3 lengths.
Although Michael has always felt we would not see the best of him until he stepped up to the 1400m and further, he resisted the temptation to step him up in distance too quickly as he is a big and strong horse that takes some time to get him to his optimum fitness base.
A $80,000 purchase from Supreme Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Inglis Premier Sale, the team has always had a high opinion of this horse so it was very satisfying to see him finally break his maiden in such a resounding way.
Hopefully Bencouver can now continue on his good form and set himself up for a good prep.
To view Bencouver&rsquo;s race,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2023-03-09/sportsbet-pakenham/race/5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

Bencouver breaks his Maiden with a dominate win

2yo filly Russian Benefits began her career in perfect style, scoring an exciting last to first win at today&rsquo;s metro meeting at Mornington.
She has been showing plenty of ability in her jumpouts and work on the training track, and the result today vindicated the high opinion the team have of her.
Michael felt she is a horse best ridden cold and jockey Brett Prebble followed his instructions perfectly, allowing her to settle at the rear of the field and relax into a nice rhythm. Handling the testing Heavy 10 conditions well, she showed a good turn of foot when the gap finally opened in the straight, ducking and weaving to the inside of horses and storming to the lead before holding off a more experienced opponent.
There was plenty to like about yesterday&rsquo;s performance, and with natural improvement still to come, the team will now be able to look towards the Spring with confidence.
A $100k purchase at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, the team first laid eyes on Russian Benefits when inspecting her on-site at Morning Rise Stud and she was at the top of their list to get from that sale. An enormous amount of time is spent inspecting yearlings at the sales, from scrutinising their confirmation, watching the way they move, to studying their pedigree, so it is hugely satisfying to see the hard work come to fruition.
To view Russian Benefits race,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2022-06-13/mornington/race/2#/results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>

Russian Benefits scores Metro win on debut

In only her second start, Funky Me scored a win on her home track at Mornington today by the narrowest of margins.
Coming off a below par first up run, Funky Me was able to put the disappointing start to her career behind her to get the win. A better start to the race saw her land in a much more forward position and from there jockey Zac Spain was able to put the 3yo Fighting Sun filly into a nice spot just better than mid-field. Travelling very well as they rounded the final bend, Spain got Funky Me out upon straightening and she was able to run down the leader right on the line.
The win was very satisfying for the team who had high hopes for their filly on the back of a number of consistently solid jumpouts. Funky Me backed up their belief and relished the step up in distance to hit the line strongly and indicate she would be even tougher as she gets out over further. One thing is for sure, you can bet she won&rsquo;t be jumping out at odds of $110 in her next start!
Congratulations to all connections.
To view Helen&rsquo;s race,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2021-10-18/mornington/race/4#/results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>

Funky Me breaks through for her maiden win

In only his third career start, Points All Round (PAR) stormed home for a gritty win over 1400m in a 3yo Maiden at Pakenham today. On the back of his impressive second over 1200m at this track 3 weeks ago, the team were confident the Nicconi gelding could go one better this start.
Although he settled in a tricky and unfamiliar position, Jamie Mott showed why he is one of the state&rsquo;s leading jockeys and was able to get PAR in to the clear as they straightened. It took every inch of the straight but under hands and heels, PAR was able to run them down right on the line.
Still very raw and immature, and with a lot to learn, it was a hugely satisfying win for the team who have experienced many setbacks and mishaps with PAR over the past 18 months. Michael has always had a good opinion of the 3yo, however with an uncanny knack for finding bad luck, PAR has been plagued with illness and injury for much of his early career and his performance reflected this. Now fully fit and growing into himself, the team is hoping he can start competing to the best of his ability and continue to provide his very patient owners with something to cheer about.
<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2021-06-04/sportsbet-pakenham-synthetic/race/1/results#/results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">To view his race, click here</a>
It&rsquo;s been a very consistent couple of months for MJM Racing. Our last 8 runners have produced 2 wins, 1 second, 1 third and 3 fourths with a win/place strike rate of 50%. And with some exciting 2yo&rsquo;s deep into their preps, we are also hoping we can see them on the track over the next few months.

Points All Round gets the job done

It was great to see Miss Inbetween bounce back to form at Sandown on Easter Monday, taking out the BM70 Ladbrokes Easy Form Handicap over 1400m.
After a frustrating start to her prep, Ruby was able to turn things around and show the team what she was capable of, producing a storming finish against some high class opposition. Getting no luck in any of her earlier races, she was still competitive at Group level however the team decided to drop her back in class to gain some much needed confidence.
With Craig Williams on-board, Ruby jumped well and settled into a much wanted cover position. From there she was able to get into a good rhythm and once she got clear running she hit the line strongly and in front of her competition. <img src="https://www.prism.horse/api/public/image/5506c295a41f4ca6a2441586490a798f.jpg" alt="" width="286" height="191" />
After such a good run, the team have now turned their attention to the VOBIS Sires Guineas to be held at Caulfield this Saturday over 1600m.
A bargain buy at the 2019 Inglis Premier Sales, she has amassed almost $230k in earnings and has given her owners a fantastic ride. Hopefully she can repeat her winning efforts in her next run.
<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2021-04-05/ladbrokes-park-hillside/race/6#/results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">To view her race, click here</a>

Miss Inbetween wins in commanding fashion

MJM Racing are very proud of our exciting and super consistent 3yo filly, Miss Inbetween, who will take her place in the Grp 2 Lexus Fillies Classic over 1600m at The Valley on Cox Plate Day this Saturday 24th October.
After finally securing her maiden at Sale a few weeks ago, Ruby stepped up in class and distance to take on the boys over 1600m at Caulfield last week. Putting in a brave front running effort it took a very good horse to get past her, with her finishing a strong second and several lengths in front of third place.
A shot at a&nbsp;Grp 2&nbsp;race now beckons and the MJM team are quietly confident of another solid performance from her. Ruby has taken good improvement from her last race and has drawn an ideal barrier, giving her every chance to get some&nbsp;Black Type&nbsp;and break through at Group level.
A $25k pick up at the Inglis Premier Sales last year, Ruby has amassed almost $150k in prizemoney so far and has proven to be a great value get for the team.
Although we are only a small team, we are thrilled to be competing back on the Group stage. Our last Group runner, Prussian Vixen, won twice at&nbsp;Grp 3&nbsp;level, so to be saddling up yet another live chance is something the team is very proud to have achieved.
A big shout out of thanks goes to our loyal owner base who have provided continual support in our quest for Group success. A shame we can&rsquo;t have you at the track to cheer on our girl but we know you will be cheering loudly from home!
MJM has started the 2020/21 season in great fashion. From 8 runners to race this season we have recorded 1 win, 3 seconds and 2 thirds for a win/place strike rate of 75%!
Hopefully Ruby can add to our winning tally on Saturday and keep our hot form going.

Miss Inbetween eyes Group 2 glory

After several frustrating near misses, Miss Inbetween finally got the monkey off her back recording her maiden win at Sale over 1400m today.
With William Pike on-board and finally drawing a decent barrier, Ruby used her early gate speed to come across easily to sit outside the leader.
Although it took some time for her to settle, once she got into a rhythm it was simply a matter of when would she hit the front. Taking over the lead with 200m to go, she was never headed and finished off the race strongly, showing the team she had relished the step up in distance.
The team have always had a high opinion of their talented filly, going right back to her first start where she ran a game second in town to a very classy winner.
And although it took her several starts to break her maiden, the form around Ruby has been very high, with most of the horses that beat her going on to win or place in town, indicating a win was imminent.
Michael will now sit down and map out a plan for her for the remainder of the spring which will hopefully see more wins ahead for her.
<a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2020-09-24/sale/race/4/results#/results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">To view her race click here</a>

Miss Inbetween finds winning form

*Article by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justhorseracing.com.au/">Just Horse Racing</a> 
From the moment Miss Inbetween finished in the placings at her second trial trainer Michael Mehegan has been thinking of The Showdown.
But there have been some anxious moments for Mehegan ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justhorseracing.com.au/the-showdown">$855,000 The Showdown for two-year-olds at Caulfield</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.
The trainer was concerned she might not gain a start and like everyone has been on tenterhooks about racing continuing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
&ldquo;We knew this was going to be the grand final and we&rsquo;ve been hoping over the past three weeks that racing would continue and that she&rsquo;d get in,&rdquo; Mehegan said.
Miss Inbetween may be a maiden, but the filly was the fourth highest qualifier and Mehegan says she has the form to give the race a shake.
The Showdown first came on Mehegan&rsquo;s radar after Miss Inbetween finished third to Mildred in a Pakenham trial in January.
After she was placed in her first two starts at Sandown over 1200m, and 1300m, Mehegan contacted the handicappers to inquire about Miss Inbetween&rsquo;s prospects to make Saturday&rsquo;s field.
Once he was assured of a likely start, Mehegan gave the filly some time off before again focusing on The Showdown.
In preparation for Saturday&rsquo;s race, Mehegan ran Miss Inbetween in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justhorseracing.com.au/vobis-gold-rush">VOBIS Gold Rush</a>&nbsp;at Bendigo (1000m) on March 28.
&ldquo;We knew it would be too short for her, but we were pretty confident she&rsquo;d run top ten to get another $5000,&rdquo; Mehegan said.
&ldquo;That got her in and we&rsquo;ve opted to put the blinkers on her for the first time.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a restricted race where you have to be by a Victorian-based sire which subsequently rules out half the horse pool.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a pretty hard race to do the form on, but I&rsquo;m pretty confident in her form and know that she&rsquo;ll run a strong 1200 (metres) out.&rdquo;
&ldquo;She&rsquo;ll come back as a better three-year-old and in the spring I hope she&rsquo;ll be a 1400-metre, 1600-metre horse.&rdquo;
RV vets completed their inspections on all runners on Friday morning.
After Ideas Man showed signs of lameness on Thursday, trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace elected to scratch the colt while Beau Rossa was withdrawn by trainer Will Clarken after being injured en route from Adelaide.
Those scratchings mean the Robbie Griffiths pair of Miss Kansas and Halvoya gain starts.

News Detail

No Friday the 13th curse for King Ben

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