Rosedene Stud’s July winning sire Greys Inn is the sire of eight time Equus Award winner Legal Eagle, who made a blistering return to racing when scoring at Turffontein on Thursday night.
The Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm bred gelding made a cracking7yo debut when destroying a high class field in a pinnacle plate over 1160m, with Legal Eagle going on to collect the 14th win of his illustrious career.
Ridden by regular pilot Anton Marcus, Legal Eagle powered home from well off the pace to win going away by half a length for trainer Sean Tarry –accounting for such high class performers as Pinnacle Peak, Tsitsikamma Dance, Africa Rising, Talktothestars and Will Pays in the process.
In the process, the dual Horse Of The Year took his earnings to R11 544 625, and he has now won or been placed in 22 of his 22 outings.
Legal Eagle’s 14 victories include 12 graded or listed races, with his principal triumphs including a hatrick of wins in both the G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and G1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, as well as the 2016 G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge and 2015 G1 SA Derby.
His sire Greys Inn, himself a July winner and Equus Champion, is also responsible for G1 winners King Of Pain and Royal Bencher, as well as graded scorers Chekilli, Canterbury Tale and the short-lived Dubai G2 scorer Forries Waltz.
A son of multiple champion sire Zabeel, Greys Inn won six times, from 1200-2450m, with his victories including the 2004 G1 Vodacom Durban July and Dubai’s G3 City Of Gold Stakes in 2005.