LEGACIES Delivers ANZAC Day Stakes Win For Boom Sire JUSTIFY

01 May 23

If you believe in omens, then you were surely going to be supporting LEGACIES to win the ANZAC DAY STAKES, a Listed Race for 2yo’s over 1400m at Sandown on Saturday, and those that did back her had an effortless watch as the flying filly “donkey-licked” her rivals.

The Listed MRC ANZAC Day Stakes (1400m) was won in spectacular style by the untapped JUSTIFY filly LEGACIES (2f Justify x Abyssinie, by Danehill Dancer), who looms as a real star of the future.

LEGACIES in control in the ANZAC DAY Stakes LR 1400m

A statuesque chestnut with a prominent white blaze, like her Sire own JUSTIFY (the Unbeaten, World Champion, USA Triple Crown Winning Sire), LEGACIES has been given a little time to mature by Peter Moody and made a winning debut at Cranbourne on April 14 where she scored easily over 1200m.

Stepping out to 1400m for her second start, LEGACIES jumped well for Luke Nolen and then took a sit behind the leaders, but when asked to get busy, she sizzled.

LEGACIES exploded to the line to win by four and a half lengths eased down in an ultra-impressive display that strongly indicates she is up to elite level stakes races.

LEGACIES has a pedigree to suggest her best is still to come and she will head to the spelling paddock now with the Group 1 MRC Thousand Guineas (1600m) in late November being her primary spring aim.

“Paddock on Monday and hopefully the Thousand Guineas,” Moody enthused post-race.

“I think she’s a lovely horse. She’s going to be a better three-year-old than two-year-old, so this is a massive bonus for the team. Owned and bred by Anthony (Mithen) and Nigel (Austin) and the team down there at Rosemont.

LEGACIES has won both her race starts earning $138,000 in prizemoney.

LEGACIES is the best of four winners from Abyssinie (IRE), a blue-blooded, three-quarter sister by Danehill Dancer to multiple Group 1 winners Artiste Royale and Aquarelliste from an elite European family packed with Black Type.

LEGACIES became the Second Australian stakes-winner (ninth worldwide) for the brilliant JUSTIFY, whose outstanding filly LEARNING TO FLY won the Group 2 ATC Reisling Stakes and the $2million Inglis Millennium, before a disaster when her jockey was dislodged early in the Golden Slipper.

LEARNING TO FLY

JUSTIFY saw his second crop of yearlings head to the sale this year and they proved very popular at those sales. He averaged $369,000 at Magic Millions and $344,000 at Inglis Easter, so the professionals are clearly happy with what they have seen so far, with high hopes for their 3yo classic season to come.

JUSTIFY - Sire at Stud

In Australia, JUSTIFY has sired Two (2) stakes-winners among 3 winners from just 9 runners to date and both LEGACIES and LEARNING TO FLY highlight the promise of what’s to come for this exciting outcross sire with both of those fillies bred from mares by sons of DANEHILL.

JUSTIFY has an unassailable Premiership lead for the title of Champion Australian First Season Sire

With earnings of $1,731,125, JUSTIFY (9 rnrs: 3 Wnrs: 2 SW) has a commanding $771,555 lead over second placed Harry Angel (16 rnrs: 4 Wnrs: 3 SW)

JUSTIFY is dominating in both hemispheres so Coolmore have had a change of heart and elected to shuttle him back to Australia in 20223, after he was considered "too valuable to risk" being shuttled in 2022.

In Both Hemispheres JUSTIFY has 3yo’s in the North and 2yo’s in the South. Overall -

Rnrs Wnrs Placed Wins Pls SH SW SP Earnings
116 45 37 59 94 14 8 6 Over $7m

82 Have won or placed from 116 runners = 71%

He is the sire of 15 Individual Stakes Horses / Stakes Winners to Winners = 20.0%

Plus, each of his Stakes Placegetters are also winners, therefore

15 Black-Type Horses to 45 Winners = 33.3%

In addition, a further 2 horses, both winners, are Stakes Performers (4th in Black-Type Races)

17 Black-Type Performers to 45 Winners = 37.8% this is SIMPLY AMAZING!