Meet Australia’s slowest racehorse.
If Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall offers you a tip at the track, don’t take it.
Given his track record for judging horse flesh you would be better looking for winners on the betting ring floor.
Marshall and a handful of other NRL stars and officials are part owners in the ironically nameed Benji Bullet, a six-year-old chestnut gelding who’s record is quickly turning into an embarrassment for his superstar owners.
Marshall is joined in partnership with teammates Robbie Farah, Chris Lawrence and Blake Ayshford, assistant coach Royce Simmons and Todd Payten among others.
However, unlike most owners who hang out for the chance to see their investment run around, the NRL players would sooner go through a tortuous training session than spend a day track side.
Benji Bullet set a new low in his career last weekend when he was beaten by 32.5 lengths at the Sunshine Coast over 1300 metres.
Anybody who took a piece of the $61 on offer by the bookies was either a gambler or stupid.
Benji Bullet’s trainer Mick Mair said he shows promise during the week before failing badly when it matters most on race day.
“He can gallop, he just doesn’t like to do it on race day,” Mair told News.com.au
“It’s a bit like the football star who trains well all week, then plays no good on the weekend.
“He’s got a good sidestep like Benji, he’s just not very quick going forward.
“The boys have never come up to watch him, but that’s only because he’s never given them a reason to.”
Unclear as to if he will ever break his maiden status, Benji Bullet has accumulated no wins in his 28 starts and just 10 places for a tiny $16,700 in prize money – a pittance compared to his superstar owners weekly salaries.
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