News

All Legal and Twilight Royale deliver Christmas cheer in Sydney

22nd Dec 2012

All Legal and Twilight Royale brought plenty of Christmas cheer to their owners and trainers in Sydney on Saturday when they saluted in the Group 2 Inglis Villiers Stakes and Listed Inglis Nursery respectively.

Twilight Royale ($45,000 2012 Premier, 2f Testa Rossa-Royal Season) was making her debut in the rich Inglis Nursery and proved too slick for her rivals over the Warwick Farm 1000m to finish ahead of Fuerza and Sweet Kiss in a quick 58.03 seconds.

Trainer Bjorn Baker saddled up the first two over the line and has big plans for both gallopers in the coming New Year.

"We knew she had ability. She’s got more early speed than him (Fuerza) and you saw that. Fuerza went terrific and he’ll head to the Inglis Classic in two weeks,” Baker said.

"It's my first two-year-old winner in Sydney and it's pretty important to me to win these races.

"I bought these horses at the sales, one at the Melbourne sale and one at the Inglis Classic sale, with no buyers and I didn't have many horses at the time.

"This is just huge and they both have good futures."

Twilight Royale was purchased for $45,000 at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Kitchwin Hills Stud. Saturday’s win netted connections $145,000 in first place prizemoney, more than three times her purchase price, plus a $20,000 BOBS Bonus.

All Legal ($25,000 2008 Classic, 6g Al Maher-Azardi) later provided trainer Kevin Moses with a valuable victory in the Group 2 ATC Inglis Villiers Stakes over 1600m.

The tough six-year-old gelding finished a nose ahead of Alma’s Fury to grab Saturday’s feature event, with Darci Be Good a further three-quarters of a length away in third.

As a jockey Kevin Moses won the 1979 Villiers Stakes aboard King’s Ideal and now joins a select group to have also trained a winner of the race.

"This win means more to me because training them is a lot harder than riding them," Moses said.

Moses purchased All Legal for $25,000 from the 2008 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale and the galloper has now earned $590,000 for his owners Mrs Jenny Moses and Mr J E Carter.

Bred by Access Bloodstock the tough miler has won six and placed eight times from 33 career starts.

North in Brisbane Audacious Spirit ($70,000 2009 Premier, 5g Bel Esprit-Roskeel) took his career earnings to $380,000 with victory in the Listed BRC Lough Neagh Stakes over 1350m at Doomben.

Purchased from the draft of Eliza Park Stud for $70,000 by Heinrich Bloodstock from the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale the five-year-old has won 6 times and placed another ten occasions for trainer Gillian Heinrich.

The 2013 edition of the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale will be conducted at Oaklands on Marcy 3 to 6 next year.

The Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale – Summer Book will be conducted at Newmarket on 20 & 21 January.