Dundeel’s Celestial Legend lands Randwick Guineas
Octogenarian trainer Les Bridge declared Celestial Legend (Dundeel) the best horse he’d had in his long career after the flashy colt led in a Dundeel (High Chaparral) quinella with a brave win in yesterday’s Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick.
One start after handing Bridge his first Hobartville Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) in 40 years – since the superb Golden Slipper-winning Sir Dapper’s (Vain) success in 1984 – the Bon Ho-owned Celestial Legend prevailed by a head over multiple Group 1 winner Militarize (Dundeel) after the two fought a head-bobbing, spine-tingling battle over the last 200 metres.
The two sons of Dundeel headed the betting as well, with Celestial Legend ($3.60) edging the $2.20 favourite to provide Arrowfield’s redoubtable stallion with a fresh Group 1 winner, his eighth overall. The result also propelled Dundeel back into the general sires’ top ten after a career-best finish of sixth last year.
Celestial Legend, a $220,000 buy for Ho’s Legend Racing and Mark McStay’s Avenue Bloodstock from Arrowfield’s draft at Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2022, has earned $950,000 with three wins and two placings in seven starts.
At 85, Bridge became the oldest trainer to win an Australian Group 1 since an 87-year-old Bart Cummings took the same race in 2015 with Hallowed Crown (Street Sense).
And despite the many fine horses he’s prepared – also including Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Kensei (Blarney Kiss), triple Group 1 hero Drawn (Star Shower), and Everest (1200m) victor Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), the Randwick conditioner yesterday put Celestial Legend on top.
“I think he’s the best horse I’ve had and I’ve thought so for a while, but I’ve been frightened to even admit it to myself, but he’s fantastic,” Bridge said.
“He never even got on the track today. It was amazing.
“If he pulls up well, I’ll run him in the Doncaster.”
Bridge, who has just 26 horses on his books – 22 bearing Ho’s “Legend” tag – added: “I’ve been training for 60 years and like all trainers I’ve had my ups and downs. A lot of downs.
“But every time I’m down, I come up with a good horse. I think I’ve been blessed in some way.”
His opinion of Celestial Legend appeared well founded after yesterday’s race. Not only did the colt grit his teeth past a triple Group 1 winner in Militarize over the last furlong, it came after he was forced three-and-four wide throughout from the outside gate of 11, large parts of it without cover. He was then bumped wider still rounding the home turn by James McDonald on Militarize.
The win brought a 82nd Group 1 for jockey Kerrin McEvoy, who was also aboard for Classique Legend’s 2020 Everest success.
“He was great,” McEvoy said of Celestial Legend. “It’s a dream for Les and for Bon. Les has really loved this horse for a while. It’s been well documented and he did a great job, the horse.
“[The wide barrier] worked out fine early, but then the pressure went on and then I lost my cover and I thought, ‘OK, I’ll just try to slide forward and be in front of J Mac’. And then he muscled me out of the way on the corner and I had to just regroup and balance him.
“He was tough the last furlong because I had to ask him for that extreme effort and he put his head out and dug deep. It was a lovely win, first time up to the mile.”
John O’Shea’s Ron Finemore-bred giant Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt) was a highly meritorious third at $71, just a head behind the winner. Godolphin’s Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) and Gary Portelli’s Encap (Capitalist) were fourth and fifth respectively in runs best forgotten after being blocked behind the first two for most of the straight.
Celestial Legend is the first foal of the unraced mare Sarraqa (Snitzel), a three-quarter sister to two South African Grade 1-winning brothers by Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) in Rafeef and Mustaaqeem. Sarraqa is a daughter of National Colour (National Assembly), a triple top-tier victor for champion trainer Mike de Kock in South Africa, and joint Horse of the Year in that country in 2006.
De Kock’s son Mathew, along with co-trainer Rob Griffiths, paid $160,000 for Sarraqa’s Written Tycoon (Iglesia) filly from Noorilim Park’s draft at last year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
A half-brother to Celestial Legend by Arrowfield’s Japanese shuttler Maurice (Screen Hero) will be offered in that stud’s Inglis Easter draft, while Sarraqa returned to Dundeel last September.