‘The best I’ve had’ – Legend Racing’s Celestial Legend wins the G1 Randwick Guineas

Celestial Legend, a yearling purchase by Avenue Bloodstock with trainer Les Bridge and owner Legend Racing, proved he was a colt out of the top drawer on Saturday with a brave win in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas at Royal Randwick.

The Dundeel colt had previously broken through with a victory in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill. On Saturday, he took his form to another level under Kerrin McEvoy, overcoming a wide trip to fend off the challenge of Group 1 winner Militarize and Cafe Millenium and prompt trainer Les Bridge to declare that he’s the ‘best horse’ to pass through his hands ‘by a long way’.

“This has been my home since I was 15 and I am going on 86 so it is special,” said Les Bridge.

“I do think he is the best I have had and have felt so for a while but you’re never game to say.

“He had a horrible run in the race, they bumped him on the turn and that’s one of the gutsiest wins I’ve seen to stick his head out.

“[Champion] Sir Dapper will always have a special spot for me and you can’t compare horses from different eras, I don’t try and do that, but this is my best horse at the moment by a long way.

“If you have a look, they bustled him and pushed him at the turn. It’s an incredible run. He is just a beautiful animal and I am only scratching the surface with him.

“Bon Ho has been marvellous to me, he’s kept me going. He has given me beautifully bred yearlings to train and I just hope this repays him in some small way.”

Kerrin McEvoy added: “Les has really loved this horse for a while. It’s been well documented and he did a great job, the horse.

“It 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.”

Celestial Legend becomes the eighth Group 1 winner for Dundeel, who also supplied the second home Militarize. Celestial Legend was bred by Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd out of Sarraqa, a Snitzel daughter of the Group 1-winning South African mare National Colour. He was purchased for A$220,000 out of the Arrowfield draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

Now with three wins in seven starts to his credit, Celestial Legend boasts earnings of close to A$1 million.