Horse racing: Ryan Elliot puts stamp all over Legends Day

Ryan Elliot. Photo / Kirstin Ledington

Two pieces of Ryan Elliot brilliance put his stamp all over Legends Day at Te Rapa yesterday. But he had plenty of help from outstanding mare Legarto and the previously unheralded Wallan.

The pair claimed two of the huge money races on the day, Legarto getting punters home in the $600,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes, while Wallan won the first running of the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic. Their victories could hardly have been more different, except for jockey Elliot providing the X-factor.

Legarto always looked the best horse in the weight-for-age feature and Elliot made the race-winning move when he left the rail soon after the field settled to secure the one-one behind Sharp ‘N’ Smart. That gave the 4-year-old mare room to move but without having to exert any energy to get there and Elliot let her stride at the 600m, taking bad luck out of play.

Legarto had to hold off Campionessa and a resurgent Sharp ‘N’ Smart, leaving no doubts she is at her most potent over 2000m.

She will get another two chances to prove that in the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes at Ellerslie on March 9 and the Australian Cup at Flemington on March 30 but co-trainer Ken Kelso says Legarto is not solely a middle distance horse now.

“She could still win a 1600m Group 1 when she was fresh here, but not in Australia, I think they would be too sharp for her,” says Kelso. “But winning at 2000m opens up a lot of options.”

One of those options long-term could be the Cox Plate in October, but before then, Legarto should be winning the inaugural $500,000 summer bonus if she can run top three in the Bonecrusher at Ellerslie, yesterday’s win giving her a clear advantage on the points table.

While Elliot’s proactive approach and confidence paved the way for Legarto to shine, he needed all his strength and daring to get Wallan home in the new innovation race.

Remarkably, he was last at the 350m mark but kept accelerating as his rivals started to wilt in the Waikato sun and Elliot zigged out and then back in to drive him through a gap inside the last 50m.

“That was a special ride from Ryan,” said Russell Warwick, the New Zealand representative for owner Gerry Harvey.

The win was one of the biggest in the training career of Cambridge horseman Shane Crawford, who wasn’t even there to see it.

“Shane is in Australia, but he’s a horseman we have enormous respect for, so what this horses does next will be up to him,” says Warwick.

On a star-studded day, Matamata girls Bonny Lass and Molly Bloom captured the other black type races, Bonny Lass getting her deserved Group 1 in the $400,000 BCD Sprint.

She exploded from the gates for Craig Grylls to lead hot favourite Crocetti and held him at

bay in a dazzling display for trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, and their huge syndicate of owners.

“She really deserved that, she’s had so much bad luck,” says Richardson, who suggests Bonny Lass could even target the Group 1 Newmarket Sprint at Flemington next month.

Molly Bloom’s win in the $175,000 Ellis Classic could be her last start in New Zealand, as the chase for Australian black type could begin in Sydney next month or extend to Queensland in winter, as she is now half-owned across the Tasman.