GREG Bennett would love to win a Walcha Cup with bold front-running Pro Consul.
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Not many know it but the mustachioed Scone trainer with the big stetson lived in, rather near, Walcha as a young man.
“Dad had a property about 30 miles out of Walcha,” Bennett told The Leader after Pro Consul won last week’s Walcha Cup Prelude at Armidale.
It was a striking Australia Day win for the gelding, who looks eminently suited to the tough Walcha layout.
“Yeah, I went to primary school at Walcha and started high school before I left.”
“I loved it,” Bennett said.
“That’s where I first learnt to ride and my love of horses started, riding those little ponies mustering the sheep.”
Caught in the vicious drought in the early 1970s, Bennett moved south to Young.
“Dad worked on a property for Tony Freedman.
“That’s where the link started there.
“I look back now and think things happen for a reason.”
Now based at Scone, Bennett has a strong stable and sits second on the Hunter and North West Racing Association trainers’ premiership.
He has also had city winners of late, notably Country Championship-bound Invienna and could have as many as four in the Scone Country Championships Qualifier on February 21 with All Summer Long, Invienna, Chivadahlii and Clearly Innocent.
However Walcha is the most immediate aim.
Pro Consul’s win in the Prelude at Armidale has shown the gelding will be well suited to Walcha and Bennett believes the 1440m will be no worry either after the 1300m of the Prelude.
The Walcha aim also has a secondary arm to it.
“Tina grew up in Walcha too,” Bennett said of stable foreman Tina Eveleigh.
She was strapping Pro Consul at Armidale and also excited about the Walcha Cup prospect.
“I rode for KT (Ken) Martin for a while,” she said.
“Greg and I are both from Walcha and would love to go back and win the Cup.
“That’s the plan anyway.
“He’s a nice horse (Pro Consul).”