Before they were famous: Classique Legend

In this series TDN AusNZ will take a look at Group 1 runners before they were successful on the racetrack; speaking to breeders, breakers and trainers on their formative years. Today, we take a look at Bon Ho's runner for The Everest, Classique Legend.

Classique Legend

Not A Single Doubt x Pinocchio (Encosta De Lago)

Winner - G2 Bowermans Furniture The Shorts 1100m

Winner - G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint 1200m

Winner - Listed Bob Charley AO S. 1100m

Placegetter - G2 Premiere S. 1200m

Placegetter - G2 Bisley Workwear Premiere S. 1200m

Placegetter - G2 The Shorts 1100m

The breeder

TDN AusNZ: This was Pinocchio’s second foal, what was the foaling down like?

Linda Monds, Tyreel Stud: It was a normal foaling and noted on the Foaling Report was; ‘has a lot of quality’.

TDN AusNZ: What was Classique Legend like as a foal?

LM: He was a tough-looking, muscular, nuggety foal. He was thick-set all round. He had a hind quarter and forearm strength like no other. He possessed a gentle nature with a streak of determination and independence.

TDN AusNZ: What was he like as a weanling, did he display any early personality traits or mannerisms?

LM: I would say he was bold, with a fearless nature as a weanling. He was a quick learner and loved his handlers. His weanling handling was seamless.

TDN AusNZ: Could you foresee his success from early on?

LM: He looked like he would just jump and run. He had a good brain on him, was strong and had all the right genetics. We believed he would be the one that would start Pinocchio’s launch to becoming a ‘Blue-Hen’.

TDN AusNZ: What was Classique Legend like through his yearling prep?

LM: He became a strong, tough colt who needed every bit of his routine. He loved his food and the contact he had with his handler.

TDN AusNZ: Could you describe his personality? Did he have any standout traits or mannerisms?

LM: He had a big personality. He was kind, gentle but also had his coltish, playful side.

TDN AusNZ: Could you foresee his career unfolding as it has?

LM: When we breed and raise these youngsters, we always dream that one day a thoroughbred off our farm will become a champion. Every foal bred at Tyreel Stud has had the same beginning as Classique Legend, we always live in hope for each and every horse. We did not foresee this particular journey he has been on, but did believe he had every bit of what is needed to be that special athlete.

TDN AusNZ: How do you think he will perform in this year's Everest?

LM: It will be an interesting race. There are so many variables with weather, track, barrier draw and a clean prep towards the big race. He has as much of a chance as any other contender.

The sales company

TDN AusNZ: What was it about the horse that first struck you as a yearling?

Chris Russell, Inglis' NSW Bloodstock Manager: The thing that sticks in my mind is what a great mover he was. He wasn’t an overly big horse at the time but the way in which he covered the ground was just effortless.

TDN AusNZ: Can you please describe him physically and explain why he was selected for the Sale?

CR: He was actually accepted into our inaugural ‘Gold Riband’ session of Classic which was in 2017, a session aimed at precocious yearlings although they were very patient with him which they are seeing the benefits of now. He had great depth and strength to him, a terrific hindquarter and had a great head, eye and a massive nostril which is a quality I learnt the great old horsemen looked for.

TDN AusNZ: What about his pedigree? What aspect of his page piqued Inglis’ interest?

CR: Not A Single Doubt needs no introduction, nor does Encosta De Lago as a broodmare sire and his mother, Pinocchio, is a full sister to Racing To Win so he is the right colour for the family! I remember looking at Pinocchio with Linda and Laurence Monds and Rob Sims of Tyreel when they bought her and actually did the bidding on her at the Sale as they had to head home early. She has always been a beautiful mare so it is no surprise she is throwing quality stock.

TDN AusNZ: Could you foresee his success then?

CR: It is obvious that you are never going to know how good they will be but you’d hope that when they are bred like that, and look that way, that they will have ability. Hindsight has proved that that was the case with him and who knows, in time he may have his name on The Everest trophy which would be great for connections Mr Ho, Carmel Size and Les Bridge and the Monds’ from Tyreel as the breeders.

The racing manager

TDN AusNZ: What was your first impression of Classique Legend?

Carmel Size, Purchaser and Racing Manager at Les Bridge Racing: His presence. There was something about him, nothing that I could say definitively like his conformation or anything, it was just his presence, for me he had everything, I was always going to come home with him.

Mr Bridge was asked the other day how much do you think she would have gone to to get him? And when I came home from the races I said to him I was never not going home without him. If it was over a million and I was going to go home to get in trouble from the owner, well so be it. It was a sort of love at first sight and I've bought a few horses in my time and it has never, ever, been like that before.

I can even remember what sort of day it was, it was a night session at the last Inglis Classic Sale at Randwick, it was 40 degree heat. It's imprinted in my memory the night that I bought that horse.

TDN AusNZ: Could you please describe him physically as a yearling?

CS: He was well proportioned and nicely grown as a yearling, he had already developed a great character about him. But he moved, he really walked from the shoulder, it was this long loose walk. He had a swagger about him.

TDN AusNZ: Can you provide some insight into his early breaking and pre-training preparation?

CS: He trained up well but he got a little bit behind as he got a cold, so he had a bit of an interrupted early breaking preparation, and then he went through the usual baby issues. So he went to the breaker for three stints instead of two and we really took our time breaking him in, and I think that has held him in good stead. Anyone who has been on him has always had a high opinion of him.

TDN AusNZ: How soon did you see something special in Classique Legend?

CS: From the day I saw him. What's interesting is that when he first came in for his first baby preparation at the racing stable, I had been raving about this horse ever since I bought him, and Mr Bridge said to me - and he had only been in the stable for about 48 hours - ‘love, that's the horse you've been waiting your whole life for’, and he didn't even go to the races that preparation.

TDN AusNZ: Does he have a nickname? Could you explain how he got it?

CS: His name is Jiminy Cricket. His mum is Pinocchio and his name was Jiminy before the hammer even fell. This is a very girly thing but I like to make friends with my horses before I even buy them. I have several visits and I know I drive the vendors mad, but they're quite used to me now. I don't just look at a horse once, I could look at a horse a dozen to 20 times. I always pop in to see the horse, I look at it by myself and I like to hop into the box and see it also.

He's called Classique Legend because for me he was the best horse of that Inglis Classic Sale, and Racing New South Wales wouldn't let me use Classic so he became Classique.

TDN AusNZ: Is he a team favourite?

CS: Haha, he's a fan favourite. He's the most unusual horse in the sense that he had a following before he had even been to the racecourse for the first time. Even Snowden's staff who had Redzel win two Everests, they love him - everyone loves him. Even the track maintenance people love him, they all want to talk to him. He is a distinctive grey, a marble grey, but I think it's the huge white birthmark on his rump, that perhaps is the attraction, I guess people do love greys also.

In the afternoon when he comes out all the kids want to chat to him and they say to me, ‘I hope you're not spoiling him’ and even the trainers say hello like John Thompson and Peter Robl, they just love him. There's a bit of rivalry between the top and bottom of High Street, but certainly at the top of High Street he is very popular, but yes, he is a genuinely well-liked horse.

TDN AusNZ: Could you please describe his character?

CS: He is such a dude - so cruisey and I think that's what makes him so good. He conserves so much energy. You know he can turn it on, he can come off the track like a prized fighter, if he's got a bee in his bonnet. But 99 per cent of the time you'd see him and you couldn't believe he would be a racehorse!

He certainly goes into the zone on race day, he really gets into it and basic things like brushing his tail annoy him, so we don't annoy him on race day, because he really just wants to be in his zone thinking about what he is doing.

TDN AusNZ: Is there anything else about Classique Legend that you'd like to share? Perhaps some funny stories from around the stables?

CS: He's just such a trouble-free horse, but also such a character. We've got him in a stabling situation where he’s sort of the boss of the yard and he passes judgement on any horse that walks by. He doesn't like Madam Legend, he really doesn't think much of her. He's very particular about what horses he likes and what horses he doesn't like. But he does have a harem of girlfriends, and older women too.

But he’s just a pleasure to deal with, I went to work the other day and the wind, it was like the world was bending in half, it was cyclonic, and I was thinking to myself oh no should we take him out or should we work him later? But I just thought no we've just got to deal with it and we got to the back gate and I was waiting for him to play up but he didn't turn a hair, he just got on with it. He was like ‘no it's okay, it's all good, I'll look after you Carmel, don’t you worry, you stick with me’. He is just a really, really special horse, I just love him to death. And I've been with a lot of horses in my life, seen a lot of horses, looked after a lot of horses, but it ends with this one, he is irreplaceable.

I am at work very early, and he is the first horse I see and we have three carrots in the dark before I turn the lights on. If I’m having a busy day, or there's something on my mind, I only have to look into his eyes and he changes my whole day. Kathy McEvoy and the kids came in to meet the horse on Sunday and I had never said that to anyone before, but she walked right up to him and said ‘oh my god his eyes!’, and it was just so lovely, because there was another person who could see what I see in him, it’s almost like he can look into your soul, and I mean that with all honesty, he is just so special.

TDN AusNZ: What do you believe is his career highlight to date?

CS: The Shorts. Any horse that can do that, and swoop like that - to me, that was the highlight of anything that I have been involved with in racing - that was the highlight of my racing career also.