Legend hitout

Everest contender Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) stepped out for the first trial of his spring campaign at Newcastle on Wednesday, winning comfortably by 2.25l.

Under Kerrin McEvoy, who has committed to riding the Les Bridge-trained gelding in The Everest, Classique Legend settled on the outside of leader Spirit Of Valor (USA) (War Front {USA}) and kicked clear in the straight.

The 5-year-old is set to have his first run of the campaign in the G2 The Shorts at Randwick on September 19.

Meanwhile, his 2-year-old half-brother Fairy Legend (So You Think {NZ}), who sold to Bon Ho’s Legend Racing for $1.1 million at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale earlier this year, has joined Gary Moore’s stable at Rosehill.

Behemoth chasing big win

David Jolly is hopeful Behemoth (All Too Hard) can land Saturday’s G1 Memsie S. to make up for not being able to take him to the Queensland carnival.

The gelding resumed with a win in the Spring S. and Jolly thinks he will have the fitness edge over some of his rivals.

"He's a bit more forward than some of them fitness-wise. Others are coming back from a spell and being set for races down the track," Jolly said.

"Having said that, I certainly haven't screwed him down.

"He was very good the other day. He had a two-run preparation to get to the Goodwood then he had a little let-up after that.

"I haven't over-taxed him to get to here."

Steel return

Anthony and Sam Freedman’s G1 Melbourne Cup hopeful Steel Prince (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) will kick off his campaign in Saturday’s Listed Heatherlie S. at Caulfield, but the stable think he will be a bit rusty as he returns from a shoulder fracture.

"He's great and it will be terrific to see him back," Sam Freedman told Racing.com.

"He's a horse that needs firm ground to show his best and obviously he has not raced since the Melbourne Cup last year, so he'll be a little bit rusty I suspect.

"But his action is great and his coat looks well.

"It's a good day out for him and he should get a nice surface that is fairly forgiving and he'll be better for the run.”

Feehan aim

Brent Stanley’s progressive gelding Coming Around (Gingerbread Man) will be aimed towards the G2 Feehan S. at The Valley on September 5, but he won’t be there to target the automatic entry into the G1 Cox Plate.

"He's going there because I think he can win the Feehan," Stanley told Racing.com.

"He should be a much better horse through the preparation, you're going to get a very fit horse that's racing well from here on in.

"All going well he wins the Feehan and then he's ballot exempt for the Cox Plate, and I'll leave it in the owners' hands to see if he wants to go.

"If he does win the Feehan and trains on well through the preparation, he will definitely go to the Cox Plate, but he won't be going to the Cox Plate just to make up the numbers. There's plenty of other good prizemoney races he can go and win.

"Maybe the Toorak or something along that path (is another option)."

Service up for auction

Ocean Park (NZ) has been booked out for the upcoming breeding season, but Waikato Stud are offering a charity nomination to the leading New Zealand sire on online auction house Gavelhouse.com.

All proceeds will be donated to the Waikato NZTBA and the fee can only be used in the 2020 breeding season.

OTI bolster spring stock

OTI Racing has added to its spring contingent with the purchase of Northern Hemisphere 3-year-old Sound Of Cannons (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).

Six of the colt’s eight starts so far have been in stakes company with his best result coming in the Listed Ascendant S. where he finished second to Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}).

"He is definitely a high-quality horse. Out of his eight career starts, six have been at Group or Listed level," OTI Managing Director Terry Henderson told Racing.com.

"We feel that a new environment and different training approach will see him grow into himself and really enhance his abilities.”

Sound Of Cannons is likely to be aimed at races such as the G3 Bendigo Cup or the G3 Queen Elizabeth S., before joining John O’Shea’s Sydney stable.

First for Justify

The first Australian foals for Coolmore’s US Triple Crown-winning shuttler Justify (USA) have hit the ground with a filly and a colt from two well-credentialed mares born over the weekend.

This filly is the first foal from Galileo (Ire) mare At Last (Ire), who is a half-sister to Widden sire Zoustar, while the colt is the first foal from G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel), who was purchased for $1 million by Tom Magnier and James Bester Bloodstock at last year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Justify stands at Coolmore this spring for a fee of $66,000 (inc GST).

Tasman Leap

Dual Group 2 winner Dragon Leap (Pierro) will make the trip across the Tasman from New Zealand to Sydney on Monday in search of some spring carnival glory.

The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained 4-year-old topped off his preparations with an exhibition gallop at between races at Matamata last Saturday.

“We were happy with him,” O’Sullivan said. “It was testing conditions (heavy 10) and he ran a nice time considering the ground.

“He has pulled up well and we’re very pleased.”

Dragon Leap is set to commence his campaign in the G2 Tramway S. at Randwick on September 5, and could be aimed at one of Sydney’s feature mile races should he perform to expectations on Saturday week.

“If he performs well in the Tramway, the Epsom would be his target,” O’Sullivan said.

“He is fairly forward. He had a quiet trial and beat a couple home, which is par for the course for him, but he is pretty forward.”

Class prevails

Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) brought her trial form to the races as she won the MacMillan Accountants 3YO H. on debut by just over 4l at Rotorua on Wednesday.

Ridden by Sam Collett, the NZ$1.30 favourite led from point to post and never looked in danger.

“Sam said she won purely on class and she hated the track,” trainer Ben Foote said.

“I was happy to get it over and done with. I decided to start today because we have got other targets and I needed some (rating) points and I knew she was good enough.

“Conditions certainly weren’t ideal but we got the job done.”

“The Gold Trail S. is the race that we are targeting. We don’t know if she is a 1000 Guineas horse or not, but I will certainly be nominating her for it and see how she comes through the next race or two.”

Clearance continues

The strong clearance on Day 1 of the Tattersalls August Sale continued on Day 2 with 163 of 172 offered lots marking an overall rate of 95 per cent with an aggregate of 2,932,200 gns (AU$5,849,739).

Online bidding has been popular with buyers so far, with the top lot of the day, talented sprinter Swindler (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), selling to Oliver St Lawrence and Fawzi Nass’ online bid of 150,000 gns (AU$299,250).

The dual-winning 4-year-old is set to head to Bahrain to continue his career in the Middle East.

"He is to go to Bahrain, that will be his base," Nass said. "He is a very talented horse, he goes on fast ground and can sit off the pace. There might be a race for him on our international day, but he could make up to be good enough to go to Dubai or Saudi."