Sunday's Super Seven
Three eight-runner fields and four more highly competitive supporting races slated for Hastings this Sunday, including a $25k Allowance event for fillies and mares
Hastings Horse of the Year Nominees
With the announcement of Horse of the Year due any day now, we’re entering the home straight with our look back at all the nominees. Today we focus on two stars from the powerful Bennett/Heads team — SOLARITY and SYNERGIE
SOLARITY ch m, 2016, by Mass Market - Sunny Soloro (Sungold)
Owner: Russell & Lois Bennett
Breeder: Russell & Lois Bennett
Trainer: Barbara Heads
SOLARITY has held her form over four seasons and is a remarkably consistent racemare.
Another outstanding product of ‘RJ’ and Lois Bennett’s winner-factory/nursery near Kelowna, Solarity’s 2021 campaign was built upon the foundation of a game win in the R.K. Red Smith Handicap at Century Mile to end the previous season.
A half-sister to the multiple winner Set To Shine, Solarity proved she’d lost nothing over the previous winter with a solid third-place finish behind the excellent Princess of Cairo in an early-season Allowance contest.
The run apparently put Solarity exactly where she needed to be in terms of fitness, as she returned four weeks later for a $30k Allowance contest and put in a highlight-reel effort; making smooth progress up the rail and taking decisive advantage down the home stretch to hold off Infinite Patience, Here’s Hannah and Princess of Cairo.
While Solarity had to play bridesmaid to Infinite Patience on her next run, she again had Princess of Cairo behind her. She then franked the form once more in August when returning to Century Mile for another valuable Allowance win. A lacklustre effort in the Northlands Distaff, and two more creditable but ultimately unsuccessful outings, could not take the gloss off a what was a fine season.
Solarity, who was partnered in her wins last season by Lenny Seecharan and Antonio Reyes respectively, remains on the work tab for 2022 and her seasonal reappearance is eagerly awaited.
SYNERGY ch g, 2017, by Sungold - Princess Rule (Finality)
Owner: Russell & Lois Bennett
Breeder: Russell & Lois Bennett
Trainer: Barbara Heads
After a scintillating 2020 that saw him land the Chris Loseth Handicap, the BC Cup Sir Winston Churchill Stakes and finish fourth in the Canadian Derby, SYNERGY ran just three times last season, butting heads with the top class Five Star General on each occasion.
Another easy moving son of the Bennett’s own stallion Sungold, Synergy got within two lengths of ‘The General’ on his seasonal reappearance and the two had some classy names behind them.
A month later, in June, Synergy turned the tables, getting the best of Five Star General close home and seeing off the late dive for the wire by Stay Fantastic in a $30k Allowance contest over 6½ furlongs.
Trainer Barb Heads then stepped Synergy up in distance for what would be his final start of the year. Again, he clashed with Five Star General who, this time, was in no mood to be challenged and nobody could get in a blow. Synergy lost nothing in defeat and once more had Stay Fantastic behind him at the wire.
Out of the Bennett-bred mare Princess Rule, Synergy represents a Bennett-bred female line that stretches back generations. Together with regular rider Antonio Reyes, he made a major contribution to some of the most exciting racing seen at Hastings last year and is worthy of his inclusion among the very best of 2021.