The postponed Listed MRC ANZAC Day Stakes (1400m) was run at Sandown on Saturday and won in spectacular style by untapped Justify (USA) filly Legacies, who looms as a real star of the future.
A statuesque chestnut with a prominent white blaze like her Triple Crown winning sire, Legacies has been given time to mature by Peter Moody and made a winning debut at Cranbourne on April 14 where she scored easily over 1200m.
Stepped up to 1400m for her second start, Legacies jumped well for Luke Nolen and then took a sit behind the leaders, but when asked to get busy she was quick to the task.
Legacies exploded to the line to win by four and a half lengths eased down in an ultra impressive display.
Legacies has a pedigree to suggest her best is still to come and she will head to the spelling paddock now with the Group I MRC Thousand Guineas (1600m) in its new date of late November being the primary spring aim.
“Paddock on Monday and hopefully the Thousand Guineas,” Moody said.
“I think she’s a lovely horse. She’s going to be a better three-year-old than two-year-old, so this is a massive bonus for the team. Owned and bred by Anthony (Mithen) and Nigel (Austin) and the team down there at Rosemont.
“A home-bred for them and always good to get a result for the team that supports us so well.”
Legacies has won two from two earning over $138,000 in prizemoney and was one of two homebred stakes-winners on Saturday for Rosemont Stud with Starspangledbanner filly Treasurway winning the Group III SAJC Breeders Stakes.
She is the best of four winners from Abyssinie (IRE), a blue-blood three-quarter sister by Danehill Dancer to multiple Group I winners Artiste Royale and Aquarelliste from an elite European family packed with Black Type.
Abyssinie had a filly by Starcraft last spring and was then covered by Rosemont Stud’s young sire Strasbourg.
Legacies is the second Australian stakes-winner (ninth worldwide) for Justify, whose outstanding filly Learning to Fly won the Group II ATC Reisling Stakes and $2million Inglis Millennium before losing her rider in the Golden Slipper.
The second crop of Justify yearlings have been popular at the sales this year with 10 averaging $369,000 at Magic Millions and a further 10 averaging $344,000 at Inglis Easter, so trainers are clearly happy with what they have seen so far and hold high hopes for their classic season to come.
Set to be the Champion Australian First Season Sire, Justify has earned a return to Australia this spring and will be on the Coolmore roster with his fee to be confirmed.
