Summer’s Legacy has a black-type pedigree going back several generations in Perth and she can keep that flag flying for her family this season.
The Lynward Park homebred had been kept in cotton wool at two by Grant and Alana Williams. She won a Pinjarra maiden going 2000m in December and struck again with a resolute victory over 1570m in Class 1 company at Ascot last Wednesday. Piloted by Willie Pike in his first day back in action following a wrist injury, the 3yo Bondi filly sat at the back and received a lovely cart into the race behind Net Zero (A Lot).
They settled down to fight out the finish and Summer’s Legacy was doing her best work late to score by a long neck. The runner-up was coming off a Bunbury maiden win and has plenty of upside, too. “She will be suited getting out even further,” Williams Racing rep Jasmine McAuliffe said. “She’s exciting and now we will look at some of the 3yo feature races for fillies coming up in the autumn.”
Races in that category include the LR Ascot 1000 Guineas (1800m) on March 9, LR Natasha Stakes (2200m) on March 22 and G3 WA Oaks (2400m) on April 5.
“This is better than watching them on the couch and I’ve been itching to get back,” Pike confessed after weighing in. “She felt the winner a long way out but didn’t know how to put them away. When the team decide to add blinkers, it will help her find another gear.”
Summer’s Legacy is one of seven winners from Aunt Lydia (Serheed) and the best of them to date is Fontainebleau (Alfred Nobel) who claimed the LR Belmont Oaks (2000m) in 2017.
Heytesbury Stud’s Robert Holmes a Court had nurtured the family going back through second-dam Summer Silence (Zabaleta) who won the LR Lindsay Rosenthal Stakes (1400m) in 1993. Third-dam Surfside Lady (Pago Pago) and fourth-dam Bynsaab (Gay Saba) had won renewals of the G2 Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) in 1988 and 1976 respectively.
Lynward Park resident Bondi completed a double at the Ascot midweek meeting when Rocket Juice won the WA Careers In Racing Hcp (1300m). He was bred by Tony Patrizi (Misty Valley Thoroughbreds) and was knocked down to Colin Loxton for $110,000 at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions.
The Magic Millions Yearling Sale on Thursday produced more moments to remember for Lynward Park when its Playing God colt from High Aims (Lot 51) made $300,000. He’s a half-brother to Lynward Park’s black-type homebred Queen Alina (Mahuta) and was knocked down to Neville Parnham.
The Bullsbrook nursery’s Bivouac – How to Fly (Lot 53) colt was purchased by David Harrison for $180,000 and its Wild Ruler – Bound For Earth (Lot 189) colt is bound for Victoria after making $75,000 to the bid of trainers Tony & Calvin McEvoy.
