Racing: Benner banks on Humidor's versatility

Humidor is relatively inexperienced but has bolted to be among the favourites in today's Livamol Classic in Hastings. PHOTO/RACE IMAGES

JOHNO BENNER comes across as the kind of bloke who doesn't let too many things ruffle his feathers.

Benner also does not put on airs when asked what it takes to be a savvy horse trainer.

"What you put in is what you get out of it. You just take in as it comes," says the 28-year-old from Otaki who co-trains with partner Hollie Wynyard, from a stable of about a dozen horses.

Today the Benner/Wynyard mentored Humidor, with Mark du Plessis in the saddle, will be among the top three favourites at 4.41pm to clinch the group one $250,000 Livamol Classic, which is the marquee race of the final leg of the Bostock New Zealand Spring Racing Carnival in Hastings.

Benner doesn't mince words when asked if he thinks any other bolter is likely to do the unthinakable over 2040m in the weight-for-age race once the thudding hooves subside across the finish line of the last 375m straight of the 1700m left-hand track at the Hawke's Bay racecourse.

"To be honest, mate, there are only three clear favourites," he says, referring to Windsor Park Plate new entry Rasa Lila, who finished third behind Mime, in the 1600m race which the Allan Sharrock-trained Kawi won despite a poor ride from jockey Leith Innes who also steered him to victory in the first leg, the Makfi Challenge Stakes in August.

But Bennor's assessment of the 18-strong field shouldn't be misconstrued as pomposity from a relatively young trainer who doesn't hail from a thoroughbred racing dynasty in New Zealand.

Some of the astute racing scribes are alluding to his confidence in his 4-year-old gelding.

Here's what New Zealand Herald correspondent Mike Dillon says: "The point about Humidor in today's ... Livamol Classic ... is it's difficult to find a negative around him.

"Yes, he jumps from 53kg in handicap class to 57.5kg at weight-for-age but, let's be honest, this is a touch under the overall grade of horses we've seen in this race in the past 15 years."

Enough said.

In fact, Benner believes Kawi's absence or otherwise "is not important at all" after Sharrock and his horse owners opted to chase million-dollar purses in Australia because he felt it wasn't lucrative enough to return here to pursue a historic treble in Hastings. Nevertheless, Benner is comfortable in the knowledge that Humidor and Du Plessis have built a magical rapport that promises to do bigger and better things.

His appraisal of Humidor is punctuated with the classification of "above average" and that today's bump up the grade is just another opportunity to evaluate his potential.

"He has worked his way through gradual progression," he says of the Bay gelding, sired by Teofilo out of Zalika.

Benner believes "the good ones pretty much make their own careers and yearn to get to the top".

He describes Humidor as "tough, packing a big engine ... and has the right credentials to be a good horse".

While some trainers and owners have threaded their worry beads over the condition of the track in Hastings and how it would affect their horses Benner has remained gungho about
Humidor's ability to handle good, dead or heavy surfaces.

Humidor, who is the least experienced contender in the marquee race of the spring carnival calendar, won the group three Manawatu Classic (2000m) on a heavy Awapuni track in autumn and made short work of a rating 75 1600m on a slow 7 track at the Makfi Challenge Stakes in August.

The introduction to the accelerant class of the carnival's final day came on the heels of an open 2000m victory in the Windsor Park for a horse that siblings John, Mark and Rachael Carter race under the Jomara Bloodstock banner.

That is not to say Humidor is in any way dreaming because Cent Home made his open class debut after just his eighth start before going on to win the classic by four lengths in 1999.

Late yesterday afternoon, the Hastings track was a slow 8 with the forecast today of a springy 19C and northwesterlies.

In some ways, the horse's route to the top mirrors that of his co-trainer.
Ask Benner where his genes for everything equine comes from and he says: "I don't really know, to be honest."

His earliest recollection is of his grandparents taking him to the races.

"I loved the horses and the speed," he says, revealing he was a jockey for a while but became too heavy, too quick.

"I like my food too much so I gradually progressed to training."

Benner and Wynyard have had a taste of the big time, when they won the Karaka Million two years ago in Auckland with Vespa, before he went to stud this year.

In his down-to-earth sort of way, Benner hastens to add while the job is rewarding there's nothing glamorous about training horses.

"You have to work really hard and get of bed early," he says, disclosing he is at the stables at 4.30am until 10am and then back there between 2.30pm and 5pm.

The couple are bringing three horses but the others are unlikely to race today.