TRAINER Diane Poidevin-Laine may have to set her heights higher after her Benicio three-year-old Benzaar bolted in at Kembla on the weekend over 1400m.

Benzaar was having his tenth race start and while he had been thereabouts in most of them, Saturday was his turn to excel racing away to win the 1400m test by a whopping 4.5-lens.

The gelding, whom Poidevin-Laine part owns with breeder Colin Warne, is the first foal of Xaargal, a daughter of the Dewhurst/Prix de la Salamandre winner Xaar and out of Warne’s own Bold Feather (f. 1987 by Bassenthwaite).

“It was great to watch Benzaar win so easily for Colin Warne.” says Vinery’s Adam White, “he is the first foal of the mare which is significant and better still, Colin bred a full-sister to Benzaar the following year.”

Benzaar has not been beyond 1400m as yet but the future looks bright for the son of VRC Derby winner Benicio.