The Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained filly made a remarkable debut at the metro meeting in Wyong on Saturday, where she outperformed her male counterparts to secure a stunning victory.
The filly exploded from the outside gate to assume control of the race and run her more fancied rivals into the ground under Harry Davies, marking the UK hoop's first winner in Australia. Despite a late challenge from the Hellbent colt Damien, Kujenga (King’s Legacy) went to the line comfortably to win by a long neck. It was just King’s Legacy’s fourth starter.
“Kujenga looked very smart,” Coolmore’s Colm Santry said.
“It’s very encouraging for the stallion. He’s had very few runners and to get a high-class Sydney-winning Saturday 2-year-old is very exciting. No doubt she will be aimed up at all the fillies’ races on target for the Golden Slipper now.”
“He’s (King's Legacy) had very few runners and to get a high-class Sydney-winning Saturday 2-year-old is very exciting. No doubt she (Kujenga) will be aimed up at all the fillies’ races on target for the Golden Slipper now.” - Colm Santry
Bred by Mr Chris Barham and Binalong Bloodstock, Kujenga was purchased for $70,000 by Triple Crown Syndications at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from the draft of Lime Country Thoroughbreds.
Foaled and raised at Segenhoe, she has already turned a profit for her big group of connections, earning $105,000 from her first win.
Kujenga as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
She is the first foal of Jenga (All Too Hard), a winning half-sister to stakes-winner Granny Red Shoes (Not A Single Doubt), who is the dam of stakes-winning 2-year-old High Octane (Deep Field). It’s also the extended family of Group 1 winner Star Satire (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}), who is the dam of G2 Silver Slipper winner Satin Shoes (Flying Spur) and G2 ARC Championship S. winner Zarzuela (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Strong results and exciting prospects
Segenhoe Stud sold Jenga's second foal, Lot 540, a filly by Stay Inside, for $200,000 to Michael Hickmott Bloodstock at the recent Magic Millions sale, who took to twitter to share his delight at the win.
“I secured her half-sister by Stay Inside from Segenhoe for $200,000. Her dam is off to a flyer and this filly looks sharp and quick,” he wrote.
King’s Legacy’s progeny averaged $126,666 at the 2025 Magic Millions, only down marginally from the previous year. The top sale among his progeny was Lot 673 from Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, which sold for $425,000 to Redgum Racing.
King's Legacy | Standing at Coolmore
Santry is buoyed by the feedback he is hearing from trainers that there are going to be plenty of more winners to come this season.
“They have sold well all the way through, but it was nice to get a winner this time of year in the lead up to the Inglis Classic sale and Melbourne Premier,” Santry said.
“The response has been really strong since he’s been to stud and all the reports we are hearing have been very positive. He’s a dual Group 1-winning 2-year-old and a three-quarter brother to Not A Single Doubt. So, there’s a lot in his favour and we look forward to an awful lot of his 2-year-olds coming out in the Autumn.”
Colm Santry | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Next month at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, 14 lots by King’s Legacy will be up for grabs, while at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, he’ll be represented by eight yearlings. Additionally, five of his progeny will be available at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale at the end of January, three in Book 1 and two in Book 2.
King’s Legacy stood his fourth season at Coolmore Stud in 2024 at a fee of $22,000 (inc GST) and covered 103 mares.
