A Legendary Victory

For the third Saturday in a row we have cheered home a metropolitan winner, the latest success for Ballymore stables being the talented War Legend who proved a class above his rivals in the Ladbrokes Handicap.

Racing wide but travelling nicely for an in-form Jake Bayliss, the three-year-old made a steady run from early in the straight - hitting the lead with 200m to go and drawing clear to win by a soft 1 3/4 lengths.

It was a strong effort by War Legend who was dropping back from the 2020m of the Chairmans Handicap in Adelaide on April 30 with the stable deciding that races around the mile are suiting him best at this stage.

"He was in South Australia for the Derby," Anthony Feroce reported, "but he just wasn't strong enough at the end of that race so Michael brought him home and freshened him."

Citing the Sunshine Coast Guineas as a possible target for War Legend, Feroce added that "it was a big effort as he was wide without cover."

Which had not been the plan but having drawn awkwardly in the second outside barrier, War Legend was unable to get cover mid-field.

"Things didn't go our way early but I was more than happy just to let him relax and breathe," Bayliss said, noting that the only other options were to push forward or go back.

"From where we were I was able to slowly work on him and he put them away nicely. He was always going to prove a class above them, he is a nice horse in the making."

A 2014 Karaka Premier purchase for Paul Moroney, War Legend - who races in the well known navy blue and gold colours of R & C Legh Racing - is a son of Galileo's multiple Group One winner Rip Van Winkle out of a daughter of the Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes winner Good Faith.

Thanks to Darryl Sherer for the winning photo.