It might be winter, but it was all Everest talk at Randwick on Saturday when Not a Single Doubt’s dashing grey sprinter Classique Legend resumed from a lengthy break to win the Listed ATC Bob Charley Stakes (1100m).
Sixth in the $14.5million Everest last year and spelled after finishing tenth in the $7.5million Golden Eagle, the Les Bridge trained Classique Legend tuned up for this assignment with a recent trial win, but was a long way short of peak fitness.
Tested in the latter stages by race fit Southern Lad, Classique Legend did enough under Kerryn McEvoy to get the job done scoring by half a length despite 60kg and the outside barrier.
“It’s so exciting to have him come back and win and he’s not even fit yet,” said Carmel Size, who manages the bloodstock interests of his owner Bon Ho.
“He was supposed to go to Hong Kong and went into quarantine twice, but he’s still here.
“It’s a long way to the Everest, but that’s the plan and Les (Bridge) will work out the best way to get there.”
Kerryn McEvoy was full of praise for Classique Legend, whose overall record now stands at four wins and three placings from nine starts with prizemoney of $1.5million.
“He’s an easy horse to like,” said McEvoy.
“He handled the track OK, but he has a much better turn of foot on a drier surface.”
Classique Legend topped the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale when bought for $400,000 from the Tyreel Stud draft and is a half-brother to Hong Kong stakes-winner Aethero.
Bred by the Monds’ family owned Wallings Bloodstock at Tyreel Stud, he is the of three winners from well-bred Encosta de Lago mare Pinocchio, a winning sister to Champion Miler and five time Group I winner Racing to Win.
Tyreel Stud sold the So You Think yearling colt from Pinocchio for $1.1million at Inglis Easter this year with Classique Legend’s owner Bon Ho securing the colt for his Legend Racing.
Pinocchio is now in foal to I Am Invincible.
