Legarto (NZ) Lights up NZB Filly of the Year Series

Undefeated filly Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) announced her arrival in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series with a scintillating performance in Saturday’s second leg – the $85,000 Group Three Super Seth Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa. 

Legarto was a $90,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2021 and has now earned $72,845 from a flawless three-start, three-win career.

Saturday’s Soliloquy shaped as a very different race to last month’s opening leg of the series, the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings. Third placegetter Mazzolino (NZ) (Savabeel) was the only Gold Trail runner returning for this race, and it represented a first step up to stakes level for several impressive winners in lower grades.

Legarto was the one that stood tallest, romping to victory in the hands of Ryan Elliot.

Unhurried out of her wide gate, Legarto took up a position at the back of the 13-horse field for most of the journey.

But when Elliot brought her to the outside at the top of the straight and turned her loose, the response was exceptional. The Ken and Bev Kelso-trained filly bounded to the front and blasted clear, opening up a winning margin of three lengths.

Legarto is raced by a similar ownership group to her star stablemate Levante (NZ), also by Proisir, who was a two-time Group One winner last summer.

“She is very similar to Levante,” Ken Kelso said. “I said to Phillip (Brown, co-owner) as they pulled up, ‘Could lightning strike twice?’ And he said, ‘I think it just did.’

“She had a lot against her today with the bad draw and being on a good track for the first time, having been on only bad ground before this. She was just fantastic, with a cool, calm ride from Ryan as well.”

Legarto collected 6 points in the Filly of the Year Series from Saturday’s performance, and she now shares top spot on the points table with Gold Trail Stakes winner Best Seller (NZ) (Wrote).

Soliloquy Stakes placegetters Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca) and Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) have also joined the table, collecting 3 and 1.5 points respectively.

The next leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series is one of the most important – the $400,000 Group One Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 12. The prestigious classic will be worth 12 points to the winner, with 7 points for second and 3.5 for third. Legarto’s spectacular win at Te Rapa on Saturday has earned her $1.80 favouritism on the TAB’s fixed-odds market.

Vendor	Highline Thoroughbreds
Purchaser	Ancroft Stud (Waikato)
Breeding	Proisir – Geordie Girl
Sale	Lot 804, Karaka 2021 Book 2, $90,000
Bred by	W E Jeffries