Back Yourself!
Sign-up and start betting with Ladbrokes in 2 minutes!
Back A Winner with Neds!
Sign-up and start betting with Neds in 2 minutes!
Daily Racing Specials!
Sign-up and bet with Australia's best new bookmaker!
#1 Ranked New Bookie
Sign-up and bet with Australia's #1 ranked new bookmaker!
Best Of The Best Odds!
Bet With Palmerbet and get Paid Top Fluc or Top Tote!
Massive Odds on All Races!
Sign-up and start betting with PlayUp in 2 minutes!
Imagine what you could be buying instead.
Set a deposit limit.
Search
 

Winning races hasn’t always been a focus for talented four-year-old Ninth Legion.

But courtesy of a little human intervention, his appetite for competition has been reignited.

A promising youngster, Ninth Legion raced well against Pierro, All Too Hard and Epaulette as a three-year-old, including a fourth in the 2012 Group One Golden Rose.

But his focus had already begun to shift from the racetrack to the fillies and at the end of last autumn, owners Segenhoe Stud had him gelded.

“It’s a hard call because you’ve got a Fastnet Rock colt that’s showing a lot of promise and you either try to get a racehorse, or you end up with nothing,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes said.

“Everyone thinks they’ve got a Fastnet Rock colt so they can have a stallion but that doesn’t always work.

“To Segenhoe’s credit, we gelded the horse and this prep has been fantastic.”

Ninth Legion will line up for his fourth start as a gelding in Saturday’s Listed Festival Stakes at Rosehill.

He heads there in winning form after scoring over 1350 metres at the same track last start when he stalked the speed.

At his previous start he went down by the barest of margins to Tromso at Hawkesbury, a run which followed a solid first-up fifth to Famous Seamus in the Lightning Handicap.

While he is yet to win beyond 1400 metres, Hawkes has no qualms over Ninth Legion coping with 1500m on Saturday.

He finished fifth from a wide gate in the Group One TJ Smith (1600m) as a juvenile under then-trainer Anthony Cummings and was runner-up to Toydini in the Phar Lap Stakes over Saturday’s distance in the autumn.

“It’s probably right up his alley now he’s a bit older, a bit wiser and he’s wanting to be a racehorse,” Hawkes said.

Ninth Legion has drawn barrier four in the Festival Stakes which has attracted a full field of 15 plus three reserves.

The race is a traditional lead-up to the Villiers Stakes run at Randwick on December 14 and the main summer target for many of Saturday’s runners, including Ninth Legion.

One horse who won’t be pressing onto the feature mile is early Festival Stakes favourite Terravista.

Trainer Joe Pride confirmed the gelding would be spelled after Saturday with a view to the autumn.

 
*Existing customers only. 2nd Racing bet. Excl SA & WA. T’s & C’s apply. Gamble responsibly.
Imagine what you could be buying instead.
Set a deposit limit.
Featured News

FREE BETS – Claim $1000’s in Bonus Bets at the TOP Betting Sites

We take a look at the BIGGEST and BEST Free Daily Racing Offers and Betting Promotions from Australia’s leading online...

Golden Slipper Likely Field – 2024

The biggest two-year-old race of the year will jump this Saturday in arguably one of the best fields in recent...

Former trainer handed a five-year ban for pulling stewards pants down

Former trainer Todd Balfour has been handed a five-year disqualification by Racing SA stewards after a misconduct incident at the...

Melbourne Cup champion Verry Elleegant passes away

Verry Elleegant, one of the great mares in the history of Australian racing, has died while giving birth to her...

Watch 📺 Jockey banned from all racing premises over ride

Jockey Dylan Kitts has been penalised with a disciplinary officer exclusion directive due to non-compliance with an inquiry regarding his...

Group 1 winner returns positive swab

Racing Victoria stewards are investigating a positive swab from Group 1-winning mare Prowess, the racehorse trained by Roger James and...

Alligator Blood injured, career in doubt

Cult galloper Alligator Blood may have run his last race, with trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott confirming the star galloper had...

Nikita Beriman returns to the saddle

July 1, 2023 to January 26, 2024 … that period represents the just shy of seven months that Nikita Beriman...

Australia's Best Betting Sites

New Betting Sites Australia + Top List Bookmaker Apps $$$

Betting in Australia has never been more popular thanks to a large increase in new betting Agencies and Apps available...

Top 10 – Funniest Race Horse Names

Horse racing. Known as the ‘Sport Of Kings’, an industry worth billions, a very serious business…but to some, it’s a...

Best Horse Betting Sites in Australia

Best Horse Racing Betting Apps and Betting Sites – March 2024

We take a look at the best online betting apps to bet on horse racing in Australia for the month...

Golden Slipper

The Golden Slipper is one of the biggest and most prestigious horse races in Australia. Taking place each April at...

Australian Bookmaker Reviews – Online Bookie Ratings $$

Which bookmaker should you bet with? We Review each of the leading online Australian Bookmakers and rate them in order...

 
 
Imagine what you could be buying instead.
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au