Oaks Victory for Legs
20 March 2006
Waikato Stud bred and owned filly, Legs (Pins x River Century), took out the final race of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series with a brave win in the Gr.1 $300,000 New Zealand Bloodstock New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on Saturday.
Trained by Kevin Gray and Robert Patterson in Waverley, the filly earned her first black type just six days after winning on debut. Her second career start resulted in an impressive win in the Gr. 3 Robertson Holden Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Awapuni in early December.
Owned by Waikato Stud 2001 Ltd, she was bred by Mark and Lisa Chittick and becomes Waikato Stud's 8th stakeswinner of the season, and third Group 1 winner after Starcraft and Glamour Puss.
With David Walker aboard, Legs was guided to a narrow victory with Out Of Align (Align x Limerick Lea) fighting gamely to finish a neck behind in second place. Herself a Gr. 3 winner at Trentham when she won the Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) in late January, she is regarded by her trainer, Gary Vile, as the best horse he has ever trained.
The hard luck story of the race was the Rogerson/Autridge trained Falsetto (Zabeel x Attempting). While an impressive win at in the ARC Telecom Ellerslie Oaks (2100m) last week gave a glimpse of the filly's talent, on Saturday she was unable to find a clear run down the straight and had to settle for third spot.
Having to work hard early on from a wide draw, NZB Filly of the Year Series winner, and race favourite, Shikoba (Chief Bearhart x Summary) could only manage eighth place.
Legs finishes the Series in second place on 21 points, just three behind Shikoba, while Out of Align's effort brought her tally to 13 points and third place.
Legs joins Caulfield Guineas winner Econsul (Pins x Gypsy Soul) and Yalumba Stakes winner El Segundo (Pins x Palos Verdes) as the third Group 1 winner for her sire, Pins. Waikato Stud stands the Australian bred son of Snippets who averaged NZ$103,056 for nine sold at this year's Karaka Premier Sale. Pins' highest priced lot was a colt out of Classic Babe, sold by Lyndhurst Farm for NZ$240,000.