Sword Of Legacy has concluded a successful week for trainer Matthew Dunn, achieving a determined victory at Rosehill. This win comes just three days after Band Of Brothers, carrying the same lime, purple, and gold silks of David Moodie’s Hesket Thoroughbreds, clinched the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.
The $2.25 favourite, Sword Of Legacy, took out the Ranvet Handicap (1200m) on Saturday. This marked Dunn’s 130th win for the current season, propelling him to sixth place in the national trainers’ premiership, a testament to an outstanding campaign for the stable. The filly was a popular choice with the public, according to leading online bookmakers.
“The same colours on Wednesday won the Ramornie. We’ve had a great season,” Dunn commented.
“That’s about 130 winners for the season, and we’re fifth or sixth in the Australian premiership, so to do that from a country base is a credit to my team.”
Having achieved Group placings in Victoria as a two-year-old, Sword Of Legacy joined Dunn’s stable earlier this year and has since won three of her six starts under his care.
Dunn admitted he had been inclined to spell the filly after her last start at Eagle Farm, but Moodie persuaded him to give her another run.
“I was actually going to stop her after her last start and David Moodie convinced me to go one more,” he said.
“She’s had to dig really deep on a testing track, and I suppose it ticks another box moving forward with her career. She’s going to improve again off what she’s doing now.
“She has already performed at stakes level. She should have won a Listed race three starts back in Brisbane, and just missed in a stakes race her second start in a race.
“I think she is better than an off-season Saturday horse.”
The Grafton influence continued when the Tom Charlton and John O’Shea-trained Roselyn’s Star captured the Schweppes Handicap (1100m) in the following race. Charlton had previously won the Grafton Cup (2350m) with King Pedro on Thursday.
Roselyn’s Star, the $2 favourite, was having its first start since winning at Group 3 level in the autumn and proved a class above its competitors, winning by a comfortable 2-1/4 lengths from Grand Impact ($20).
“The key to him was when we turned him out a winner,” O’Shea explained.
“He had a nice break, he had his tail in the air coming off a win. He’s come back in, and Tom and the team have done a wonderful job preparing him today.”
O’Shea confirmed that the Magic Millions carnival next year is the long-term goal for the talented winner.
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