Southern Legend triumphs in second Kranji Mile
A leading 2YO sire for almost a decade, Not A Single Doubt added his 24th juvenile stakeswinner at Trentham, NZ on Saturday. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Saturday evening’s S$1.5 million Kranji Mile 1600m LR was a triumph for the Australian breeding industry, as Southern Legend sped to a commanding victory, chased home by former Hong Kong Group winner Blizzard.
Already Not A Single Doubt’s all-time leading earner, Southern Legend took his prizemoney to around $4.9 million with his second consecutive Kranji Mile win for owner Boniface Ho and trainer Caspar Fownes. His time of 1:33.61 was slightly faster than his 2018 performance and, in the opinion of his jockey Zac Purton, a stronger win all round.
Mr Ho’s buyer and Australian-based manager Carmel Size shared her delight on Twitter: “Thrill of a life time to have kicked the #Legend journey off with such a super, super horse, he is so honest and wouldn’t know how to run a bad race.”
Carmel and her father Neville Begg bought Southern Legend (ex Donna’s Appeal by Carnegie) for $280,000 from the 2014 Inglis Easter draft of breeder Corumbene Stud. The Stud has retained Southern Legend’s yearling sister, already named Loveland.
RACE DAY LIVE 📺@SGTurfClub
RACE 9 – KRANJI MILE G1 1600m🥇SOUTHERN LEGEND $8-5.1
T: Caspar Fownes
J: @zpurton
O: @BonHo93524033📏2 1/2, 1/2, 1 1/4
⌚1:33.61 (.18 quicker than last year)#KranjiMile19 #SGRacingLive #KranjiBroadcast pic.twitter.com/h36lQaF1U6— Kranji Broadcast TV 🇸🇬 (@KranjiBroadcast) May 25, 2019
The Kranji Mile is Mr Ho’s second major success with a Not A Single Doubt son this year, following Classique Legend’s brilliant ATC Arrowfield Stud 3YO Sprint G2 victory at The Championships last month. Classique Legend is now a contender for the $14 million The TAB Everest after Mr Ho & Carmel Size Racing purchased GPI Racing’s slot.
They also signed for three Not A Single Doubt yearlings from Arrowfield’s Class of 2019, securing the Zillow & Lahana colts at Inglis Easter for $1.05 million & $480,000 respectively, and the Stormy Hussey colt for $140,000 at Inglis Classic.
There was plenty to admire about Blizzard’s runner-up performance too. Bred by GSA Bloodstock and purchased for $75,000 by Ricky Yiu from Arrowfield’s 2013 Inglis Melbourne Premier draft, the 7YO son of Starcraft and Stormy Choice (by Redoute’s Choice) has been a wonderfully genuine performer in top company over five seasons for the Infinitude Syndicate.
His four years in Hong Kong produced a Group 3 victory, a Group 1 third and three excellent Group 1 fifths in Japan before his transfer last year to Lee Freedman in Singapore. Blizzard has since added the Fortune Bowl LR & three placings to his record and his lifetime prizemoney now approaches $4 million.
As for Not A Single Doubt, he looks increasingly secure in 5th spot on the Australian General Sires’ Premiership and his season tally of stakes wins is only five short of his career-best total of 26, compiled in 2016/17.
