Fairview’s eight-race polytrack meeting today enjoys a glamour boost courtesy of dual SA Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle who makes a welcome return to racing in the local feature, the R80 000 WSB East Cape Challenge 1400.
The 1400m feature is the second leg of the all-weather challenge which is contested over three legs.
A bonus of R250 000 is payable to the owner of a horse that wins all three legs, while a consolation bonus of R50 000 will be paid to the connections of a horse accumulating the most points in the event of there not being a winner of all three legs.
The first leg winner Bold Coast will jump from a pole position draw in his bid to keep the series alive for champion trainer Alan Greeff.
Carl Hewitson and Legal Eagle
But the major interest will focus on that ‘magic miler’, Legal Eagle, who has already been honoured with the Gr3 Winter Classic now called the Legal Eagle Stakes. The 1800m feature is run at Kenilworth on 27 June.
A clearly excited part-owner Hedley McGrath told the Sporting Post that the Avontuur-bred champion son of July winner Greys Inn ‘was in a good space and enjoying his work’.
“He underwent a highly successful tie-back operation and is jumping out of his skin. He has been working well. Both Carl Hewitson and Wayne Agrella, who rides him in his first run on the polytrack, are pleased with his progress. He is a fabulous character and we love him. This is our passion. Our fun and our hobby. Win or lose, the moment Legal Eagle shows us that he doesn’t want to race, we will call it a day. This is not about the money,” added the passionate owner, who said that Legal Eagle would eventually retire to his home in PE.
Legal Eagle at Kenilworth (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
Hedley said that it was also a pleasure to welcome a passionate horsewoman in Laura de Haast and Ryno du Plessis into the Legal Eagle partnership.
“The more owners the merrier. Racing is about teamwork and sharing the thrills and disappointments. Laura is the wife of Michael de Haast of the International Racing Club’s. She is, like our trainer Yvette Bremner, a horse lover to the tips of her boots. William Henderson follows this horse from afar and will be watching from Australia. And then there is that generous man Braam van Huyssteen, who just loves this game.”
Trainer Yvette Bremner did wonders with the crack sprinter Copper Parade, who raided Joburg in 2014 at the age of 6 from the Windy City, to win the Gr1 Computaform Sprint, and raced to a senior age.
Legal Eagle is not the first champion either to race well into his career.
The late Buddy Maroun’s sensational sprinter Golden Loom raced for nine seasons and chalked up his final race victory at the ripe age of 10.
In all, he had 78 starts, won 22 of them and was placed 37 times!
William Penn
The evergreen William Penn won the Met as a six year old in 1968 and, after a brief spell at stud, came back four years later to finish second to Force Ten in the Cape’s showpiece.
He was denied entry because of his age to the 1972 Rothman’s July Handicap.
Before bowing out gracefully, he twice ran second at weight-for-age to the great In Full Flight – who was six years younger than him!
Fat Frank-sponsored jockey Wayne Agrella, who rode a confidence-boosting return winner at Fairview last Friday, has the honour of riding the star on Friday.
Looking forward to riding the Eagle – Wayne Agrella (Pic – Pauline Herman)
He said that Legal Eagle had given him ‘a nice feel’ and that he was looking forward to the race. He just hoped that the rains would stay away.
Legal Eagle has not seen action in the 48 weeks since partnered by multiple SA Champion jockey Lyle Hewitson in the 2019 Vodacom Durban July, where he finished downfield.
He only ever raced twice in KZN.
A fifth placed finish behind Power King in 2015 was his only previous start on the East Coast.
That’s in stark contrast to his brilliance at home in Gauteng, and the Cape.
- Watch the race at Fairview on Dstv 239 – it’s off at 16h10
