All Time Legend has proven he can run a mile but trainer Les Bridge is in two minds about whether that is the horse’s pet journey.
The Hall of Fame trainer will nominate the gelding for the Epsom Handicap (1600m) this spring but before he commits to that path, he wants to give All Time Legend an opportunity to show his wares as a sprinter.
The five-year-old resumed with an encouraging performance to finish runner-up to Chat in the July Sprint (1100m), a formline that has been franked with Chat subsequently finishing second in the Group Two Missile Stakes last weekend.
However, Bridge said the first-up assignment didn’t go to plan as they had intended to ride All Time Legend quietly, but he ended up camped outside the speed.
He is hoping the pace is on in Saturday’s Ranvet Handicap (1200m) at Kembla Grange where the intention will again be to let All Time Legend find his feet early and finish the race off.
“I’m trying to find out his best distance,” Bridge said.
“He’s a smart horse. He only got beaten in that sprint the other day by a head so he can sprint, but he’s also good at a mile.
“But he might be just a fair sprinter and a good miler.
“I’m going to nominate him for the Epsom and we’ll just see how we go. If he sprints, that’s good, if not we will try to qualify him for the Epsom.”
All Time Legend is building a handy record having won five of his 10 starts and placed in another three.
Regardless of whether the horse turns out to be at his best over a short course or a mile, Bridge knows he has a quality athlete on his hands and he is not overly concerned by the gelding’s 7.5kg weight rise to 60.5kg on Saturday.
“His form is terrific, his work is always good. He’s just a nice horse,” Bridge said.
“He’s a big horse. I don’t think the weight will worry him.”
Bridge will also saddle up Helga in the Bowermans Commercial Furniture Handicap (1400m) and says she is a solid each-way chance after failing to handle a heavy track when she was unplaced at Randwick on resumption last month.
