It was looking dicey for the heavily backed Celestial Legend when bottled up with nowhere to go at the 300m in Saturday’s Schweppes Hcp (1200m) at Rosehill before Dylan Gibbons made a sharp left-hand turn to find clear air, and then it was a matter of how far.
Second behind the $3,000,000 Zoustar colt Kandinsky Abstract on debut at Canterbury on May 3, the son of Dundeel opened up like a horse with a future.
The Les Bridge-trained 2yo defeated the Pariah colt Ostraka by a length and a half, with the Justify (USA) debutant Jagjit one and a quarter length back in third.
“He looked like the best horse in the race, and it felt that way,” Gibbons said.
“He floated around and still did not know what it was all about
“The skies the limit. He is long and lean, and who knows how far he will get.”
Carrying the colours of long-time stable supporter Bon Ho, Celestial Legend was a $220,000 purchase for Legend Racing / Avenue Bloodstock from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
The grey colt is the first foal of the unraced Snitzel mare Sarraqa, a three-quarter sister to Group 1 winners in South Africa, Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) and Mustaaqeem (Redoute’s Choice).
Sarraqa’s dam National Colour (National Assembly) was a 3-time Group 1 winner in South Africa. She was honoured as the Joint South African Horse of the Year in 2005-06 - Champion Older Female Sprinter in GB in 2007-08 - Joint Champion 3YO Filly in South Africa in 2005-06.
Mike de Kock trained National Colour, and it was his son, Mathew de Kock, now training with Robbie Griffiths, who shelled out $160,000 for Sarraqa’s Written Tycoon filly consigned by Noorilim Park to the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
After foaling a Maurice (JPN) colt last spring, Sarraqa was covered by Castelvecchio.
Celestial Legend is the tenth 2yo winner of the season for Arrowfield Stud’s Dundeel.
