Legally Binding Runs a Blinder
20 October, 2024
Making it back-to-back wins, Legally Binding (3 g Exceedance – Legal Eagle, by More Than Ready) hung on for victory in the $55,000 NZB Ready To Run Trainers Series 3YO 1200 metres on Saturday at Ellerslie.
One of four winners on the programme for trainer Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson when resuming with a sustained strong gallop to win the Maiden 3YO 970 metres on 18 September at Cambridge (poly-track), Legally Binding again had the services of former Te Akau apprentice Wiremu Pinn and successfully made the transition to racing on a StrathAyr track.
It was another very good ride by Pinn, flying the gates to lead before steadying to the 800m, the winning of the race came when Legally Binding accelerated clear around the home turn, while those closest took time to balance, and although a three-length margin was diminished he found enough to prevail.
On Good4 footing, Legally Binding ran 1200 metres in 1:12.6, winning by half a head, and as third favourite he paid $5.10 & $2.20 on the NZ TAB tote.
“It was really good to see him win today at Ellerslie,” Walker said. “He’s obviously still green, still has a bit to learn, but it’s hard to win around Ellerslie, given the strength of competition, and he’s now won two of his three starts.
“He got a bit tired the last bit of the race, but he’s a horse that has always shown ability and obviously it’s a big advantage if you can race on the speed these days.
“He’s only three and he’s the type of horse that will continue to develop and get stronger as he matures.
“It was good to see Wiremu (Pinn) back in the saddle from suspension, judging it nicely to ride a winner, and onwards and upwards from here for both horse and jockey.”
Legally Binding was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for A$90,000, from the draft of Edinglassie Thoroughbreds, at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and owned by the Te Akau Eagle Eyed Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).
A really well put together horse, by a young sire son of Champion Sire Exceed and Excel (Danehill), Legally Binding has legendary sires Danehill and Sir Tristram as his second and third dam sires, respectively, which adds to a distaff bloodline among the best.
Legally Binding carries a Danehill cross as the sire of Exceed and Excel, and sire of grand-dam Legal Consent.
From the first crop of Exceedance, a Group One winning three-year-old in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) at Flemington, whose dam, Bonnie Mac (Thorn Park), was a stakes winner over 1200 metres that won five times to 1400 metres.
The dam side of pedigree is particularly rich. Incredibly, world renowned dam-sire More Than Ready (Southern Halo) is the best sire of winners globally, with nearly 2300 individual winners, and around number, including over 135 stakes winners as a broodmare sire.
Passing in 2022, aged 25, More Than Ready had been Champion Sire in both hemispheres, proving an outstanding sire of sires and going from strength-to-strength as a broodmare sire.
At the time of purchase, Ellis said: “He’s a really athletic colt by and exciting first season sire, who in turn is by breed-shaping sire Exceed and Excel.
“He has great presence, speed in his pedigree and a double up of Danehill in his bloodlines.”
Legally Binding was strapped by Cooper Stumbles.
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