With 200 metres to run in Saturday’s $4,000,000 The Star Doncaster Mile at Randwick, there were a dozen horses still capable of winning, then Tyler Schiller lowered the boom on Celestial Legend.
Trained by octagenarian Les Bridge, the 3-year-son of Dundeel scythed between runners from near the tail of the field to defeat Godolphin’s Street Boss (USA) gelding Pericles by three-quarters of a length with a short-half-hed back to another 3-year-old son of Dundeel, Militarize, in third.
Coming off wins in the Group II Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill and the Group 1 Randwick Guineas, the Bon Ho colourbearer advances his record to four wins and two seconds from eight starts with earnings of $3,390,825.
“He’s some horse. I’ve had a lot of good horses, but this horse is unbelievable,” Bridge said
“I just love the horse. I felt the same as I did on Everest day (when Classique Legend won).
“You get horses like this, I thought I’d get one in my lifetime, I keep getting them. I can’t work it out.
“I just didn’t think he could win, that’s all, but he just got out and he’s just unbelievable.
“What more can he do? For three-year-olds in this era, to win a Doncaster when they’ve got the compressed weights and all these good horses are so close to him in the weights was the only thing that made me worry a bit.
“I’m old-fashioned. You get these good, tough horses with the compressed weights, but this horse is just terrific.”
“I knew he hadn’t gone backwards. I didn’t want to give him another hard run because he had a terribly hard run in that mile, so I just gave him a nice tick-over trial.”
Tyler Schiller admitted it was a battle to get down to 49kgs.
“It’s so worth it, I’m absolutely knackered after it, but I can’t thank Les and Mr Ho, the owners and connections, everyone that’s had something to do with the horse (enough), they’ve got him here perfect, I’ve got the light weight and, God, he was so brave,” Schiller said.
“He went through a gap that I wouldn’t usually take, but a Doncaster means a lot and to do it for Les and his team is terrific.
“Early I was a bit worried, he couldn’t get into a spot. I would have liked to be a little bit further forward, but once the 800 came he tracked into the race so well and then it was just trying to find a gap.”
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 son of Dundeel 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 missing to Castelvecchio in 2022, Sarraqa was covered by Dundeel last spring.
