New Zealand trainer Ken and Bev Kelso have landed their first Group 1 win on Australian soil in an action-packed Australian Guineas.
A heavy fall near the 300m mark involving Maximillius (Ethan Brown) and Holymanz (Mark Zahra) had racegoers fearing the worst.
The Victorian Jockeys’ Association reported Zahra appeared to have escaped injury and walked backed to jockeys’ room while Brown was transported to hospital for observation.
Nothing could be taken away from Legarto who became the horse from across the Tasman to win the Australian Guineas, first run in 1986.
The Kelsos have been holding off retirement chasing their Group 1 dream in Australia but may now have to hold that off even longer as the Melbourne Spring Carnival beckons.
Ridden by Michael Dee, Legarto ($6.50) scored by a long head from Attrition ($7) with Japanese Emperor ($101) a long neck away third.
Kelso had pretty much given up hope of success with Legarto as the filly was held up in traffic.
“She’s just an amazing filly and probably 100 metres out you thought you were going to run fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, to be lucky,” Kelso said.
“She does things other horses can’t do and she’s pretty special.
“We weren’t going to retire until we got a Group 1 in Australia. We’ve only ever bought Group 1 horses over here and we’ve run about three seconds.
“It’s massive. We just can’t believe it.”
Kelso indicated Legarto would return to New Zealand to be spelled and then prepare for the spring.
“She’s had a big season,” Kelso said.
“She’s had two trips away. She flew to Christchurch and here.
“We’ll chat to the owners, but we think as far as we’re concerned, she should have a bit of a break and then come back and dream about Cox Plates, Caulfield Cups, that sort of thing.”
Damian Lane, who rode the $2.70 Ladbrokes favourite Jacquinot into sixth place, said Plan A went out the window after the colt did not begin cleanly.
He said the 1600m journey did not count against him, rather it was a tough run that brought the favourite undone.
“It was a muddling tempo early and he just got up over-racing a little bit,” Lane said.
“The ground I made in the run he produced between the 800 and 600 (metres) was outstanding, but I just couldn’t possibly sustain that sprint for any longer.
“Not that it was the 1600 metres that ruled him out, it was just the run I had on him.”