Exciting gelding Sentimental Legend gave Newgate Farm stallion Brutal (O'Reilly) his first Classic winner when he produced a dominant staying performance to emerge as a comfortable winner of the $400,000 G2 WATC Derby(2400m) at Ascot.
The moment brought up a remarkable round dozen of WA Derby wins for his champion jockey William Pike, and a tenth victory in the time honoured Classic for trainers Grant and Alana Williams.
Sent out at odds of 2/1 the last start Melvista Stakes winner was given the perfect ride by Pike, as he dropped in for a trail behind leader and race favourite Wonderfully Made (Playing God) when Lucy Fiore found herself left in front and leading the Derby field on the runaway WA Oaks winner.
Wonderfully Made had pulled up a little proppy after her Oaks triumph but had since pleased trainer Dan Morton, and punters put their faith in the star filly and in Fiore, who is riding in white hot form.
Pike had his mount stalking Wonderfully Made every step of the 2400m journey, as the filly bowled along smoothly, setting an even clip.
30/1 shot Poppy's Roses ( Maschino) took up a forward position early on as did 100/1 bolter Hey True Blue ( Blue Point) while the Melvista runner up Aberdeen Flyer ( Astern) tucked in behind them for a cosy run.
Oaks fourth placed and Natasha Stakes winner Masmelo ( Maschino) dropped to the rear of the Derby field which was rounded out by roughies Wynn Las Vegas (Yes Yes Yes), Tahni Talk (Maschino) and Sovereign Salute ( King's Troop).
Wonderfully Made was perfectly rated by Fiore and when asked to quicken approaching the home turn the filly responded, but her effort didn't last long! Early in the straight she began to shorten stride as Sentimental Legend was produced by Pike to make his run. Poppy's Roses had got the stitch and Hey True Blue had stuck with them valiantly all the way but could do no more.
It was the big Maschino filly Masmelo who was coming home with a full head of steam, accompanied by 60/1 longshot Tahni Talk!
The pair of Maschino three year olds made up plenty of ground but far too late - Sentimental Legend had powered away from them and went to the line two lengths clear to become the WA Derby hero of 2026.
Tahni Talk at his fifth start and in his first stakes race ran out of his skin to take second in advance of a gallant Masmelo with Hey True Blue sticking on doggedly for fourth.
Aberdeen Flyer did little and Wonderfully Made faded badly to finish almost seven lengths off the winner.
The G2 Derby triumph comes at Sentimental Legend's sixth career outing, and advances his record to four wins and two placings for earnings of $386,405.
Willie Pike spoke with the media after the race.
“ He is a good horse, they're nowhere near the bottom of him yet either” said the Wizard.
“He was still a bit stop start in the run. Give him another six or twelve months and another fifty kilos and he's going to be a lot of fun.”
Was he an out and out stayer, or might Sentimental Hero be a Railway Stakes hopeful next season the hoop was asked.
“I was always taught that a stayer can run a mile, a 1200m horse can't - so absolutely if he comes up at that level you've got to have a go at it.
“ Honestly, I know a couple of others didn't really perform today, but he was so good,and I just know the improvement that he's got to come.”
Bred by his trainers, Sentimental Legend is a half brother to turf warrior Sentimental Hero ( Al Maher) a multiple stakes winner who himself placed in the,G1 Railway at eight years of age last November!- and his full siblings the stakes placed Sentimental Friend and Sentimental Flame plus winning mares Sentimental Queen and Sentimental Gift, all foaled by the winning More Than Ready mare Sentimental Star.
He is the last foal from that fine producer Sentimental Star, who passed away in 2023.
This is one of legendary WA owner / breeders Bob Peter's “foundation families” which descends from the Royal Academy daughter Lady Ashford, a direct maternal descendant of the great matriarch La Troienne via her Blue Hen daughter Baby League.
The line descends through the G1 Queensland Oaks/ Derby heroine Bravery ( Zephyr Zip) who was mated to mighty Snippets.
The resulting full sisters Springfire (Lady Ashford’s dam) and Valourina have made their mark!
Valourina produced the G1 performed daughters and producers Timbourina ( Woodman) and Media ( Gilded Time) among her three stakes winning and two stakes placed progeny. She produced thirteen winners and founded an extremely successful family.
Her fast sprinting sister Springfire was also a genetic gem and through Lady Ashford a constant stream of stakes winners have flowed from her for Bob and Sandra Peters.
Two daughters of Jeune - Star Encounter (dam of SW Perfect Jewel, Royal Star and two time Perth Cup hero Star Exhibit) and Galaxy Queen (dam of G1 Railway winning mare Galaxy Star) as well as Sentimental Legend's dam Sentimental Star and her stakes producing full sister Favourite Star, have ensured that this wonderful female line will endure far into the future.
Another valuable source of the Bravery blood going forward will be last season's G1 winning superstar QLD juvenile Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel). Now retired through injury, Archie will stand at his birthplace Newhaven Park, where he will no doubt attract plenty of support. Cool Archie is a grandson of Media.
Sentimental Legend is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5f,5m sex balanced
Going back to his ancestress Springfire, she is sex balanced to Blue Hens Mumtaz Begum ( via son Nasrullah and daughter Malindi ) and Striking ( via son Hitting Away and daughter Batter Up ) - Batter Up is her own fourth dam.
Striking's daughter Glamour is ancestress of Woodman, More Than Ready's damsire, and the stallion himself was both a descendant of La Troienne through daughter Belle Of Troy and carrier of a sex balancing line of her son Bimelech.
Striking was full sister to Busher and her full brother Mr Busher and they are bred on the same War Admiral / La Troienne cross as Buckpasser’s dam Busanda.
Busanda and Mr Busher are carried by the dam of Brutal's tail male ancestor Try My Best, while his damsire Golan has a line of Nijinsky's great Classic influence Caerleon who descends from La Troienne's daughter Big Hurry.
Another notable aspect to this pedigree comes via the Silly Season son Adios carried by Brutal, meeting up with Snippets!
Silly Season is the grandsire of Snippets, whose damsire Grand Caudiere was a son of Grey Sovereign's Blue Hen Grey Flight.
The second dam of Adios was by Abernant, a,grandson of Mumtaz Mahal out of a half sister to Grey Sovereign ( by Nasrullah, grandson of Mumtaz Mahal)
Pompeii Court's sire Tell ( Prince Rose tail male) was out of Nasrullah daughter Nas- Mahal and Sentimental Legend's fifth dam was sired by Prince Taj ( Prince Rose grandson out of Nasrullah daughter Malindi)
Malindi was a full sister to Nasrullah and three quarter sister to Royal Charger - and Pompeii Court carries a Royal Charger daughter as well.
Brutal’s sire the mighty O’Reilly sired 87 stakes winners and among them was the memorable WA Derby winner of 2003 Guyno, who went on to win the Perth Cup and ran top ten in a Melbourne Cup.
O'Reilly sired two champion Derby winning daughters - Shamrocker ( Australian Guineas and AJC Derby) and Silent Achiever ( NZ Derby / BMW / Ranvet Stakes), who was a La Troienne descendant.
O'Reilly sons at stud have sired two G1 Crown Oaks winners - Alamosa ( Kirramosa) and Grunt ( Strictly Business) but Brutal is the first of his sons to get a Derby winner in Australasia.
Shamexpress, sire of HK superhorse Kai Ying Rising, is also the sire of the G1 Singapore Derby winner Lim’s Saltoro.
Brutal stands at Newgate Farm where he covered 125 mares last spring on a fee of $16,500.
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