Bit Of A Legend had his second major win of the season when successful in the $A303,000 Australasian Breeders Crown pacing race for 2yr-old colts and gelding at Melton yesterday.
Bit Of A Legend had won the $243,000 Yearling Sales Pace at Addington in May for owners, Pat and Margaret Kubala, of Gore, Ross Stanbury, of Ladbrooks, Chrissy Dalgety (wife of the trainer) and Darryl Brown, of Perth. The son of Bettor's Delight and Soky's Legend is trained by Cran Dalgety. He has been driven each time by Dexter Dunn.
Bit Of A Legend overcame starting from the unruly position yesterday. Dunn improved him to second in the open at the 1200m and Bit Of A Legend won by half a length from Border Control, with a similar margin to the pacemaker Franco Nelson. Bit Of A Legend rated 1.57.5 mile rate for the 2240m (mobile).
Bit Of A Legend, bred by Brian West, was a $50,000 purchase by Dalgety at the 2011 premier yearling sale. The colt has raced 11 times for five wins and five minor placings.
All the winners on the nine group one race card yesterday had New Zealand connections.
The others were Miss Moonlite, Triumphant Monarch, Cheer The Lady, Fly Like An Eagle, Caribbean Blaster, Elegant Image, Glenferrie Shuffle and Blitzthemcalder.
Fly Like An Eagle, trained and driven by Mark Purdon, had won the New Zealand Derby in April for owners, Phil and Margaret Creighton, of East Taieri, Phil and Glenys Kennard, of Christchurch and Gavin Douglas, of Ashburton.
Andrew Stuart, the Rangiora trainer, had his biggest win when he produced Miss Moonlite to win the $A100,000 race for 4yr-old pacing mares.
He trains Miss Moonlite for Wibble Holdings. Miss Moonlite had won a consolation race of the Breeders Crown last year. She has also won over a mile in 1.54.7 at Richmond Park. She rated 1.56.2 yesterday.
Triumphant Monarch is raced by breeders, Keith and Robyn Gibson, of Upper Hutt, who operate Roydon Lodge stud. Triumphant Monarch joined the Victorian stable of Chris Alford at the end of June.
He had won a maiden trot at Washdyke in November from the Motukarara stable of Craig Edmonds and three races in a row during the winter for Tony Herlihy.
The son of Monarchy and Aspiring Gal, is a brother to Royal Aspirations and a half-brother to Jinja Gal, both 2yr-old trotting Harness Jewels winners.
Cheer The Lady, trained by Barry Purdon and driven by Zac Butcher, rated 1.56.2.
Cheer The Lady and Caribbean Blaster are also by Bettor's Delight, who stands at the Woodlands Stud in Auckland.
Glenferrie Shuffle, an easy winner of the race for 2yr-old pacing fillies, was bred in New Zealand by the Hot Shoe Shuffle syndicate.
Trained by Craig Demmler for Peter Chambers, she is by Art Major from Hot Shoe Shuffle and was sold for $65,000 at the Australasian Classic sale at Karaka last year.
Elegant Image is by S J's Photo out of the New Zealand mare Whitney Grace (Armbro Invasion-New Illusion) who was sold to Australia by then Oamaru breeders John and Michael Bartlett after she qualified as a 2yr-old.
Ross Payne, the former North Taieri trainer, prepares Blitzthemcalder, winner of the race for 2yr-old trotters.
