The Bettor's Delight colt, monstrous in defeat in the 3yr-old emerald division of the Harness Jewels at Ashburton earlier this month, is heading back to Melbourne for the Breeders' Crown after he brought glory and riches to his owners in the 2yr-old edition last season.
Among the owners is Gore owner-breeder Pat Kubala and his wife Margaret, along with Ross Stanbury, Darryl Brown of Perth, and Chrissie Dalgety, the wife of Bit Of A Legend's trainer, Cran Dalgety.
Kubala has not forgotten the Breeders Crown win, when he had 15 of his friends and family on course at Melton last year for the richest 2yr-old race in Australasia.
''I have spent a bit of money and it has always been on my bucket list to win a big race over there,'' Kubala said.
Bit Of A Legend did much of the work in the 3yr-old emerald earlier this month, only to be downed by Border Control, but still recorded a placed time of 1.50.6, only half a head behind Border Control.
Kubala said the colt was ''very well''. His last standing start was at Addington on May 18 last year, when he was attempting to qualify for the Harness Jewels, but galloped badly at the start before putting in a massive run for second.
Bit Of A Legend warmed up for Sunday's $13,000 feature with a nose victory over stablemate Safedra at the Ashburton workouts yesterday, pacing the last 800m in 58sec and the last 400m in 27.3sec.
A Breeders Crown heat for 3yr-old colts and geldings will be held at Addington on July 19. The semifinals will be held at Ballarat on August 10 and the finals day, featuring group 1 races across 2-, 3- and 4yr-old categories, is at Melton on August 18.
Waimate-owned juvenile trotter One Over Da Moon has already booked his spot in the finals, after downing Daenerys Targaryen in a two-horse heat at Addington on June 14. In the trotting section, qualifiers head directly to the final, with no semifinals being held.
Kubala's six-win pacer Awesome Prospect will do its future racing in Perth after being sold to the stable of Graham Bond, who trains on the northeast fringes of Perth. The 6yr-old is at the Hororata property of Dave Moore awaiting export to Western Australia.
Kubala also has high hopes for a yearling filly out of his solitary broodmare Righteous Franco named Lightning Mach. The daughter of Mach Three is with Dalgety, as is her full-brother, a rising 3yr-old named Rapid Mach
