Team Hawkes has Ninth Legion in peak condition for Saturday’s Villiers Stakes on the Kensington track at Randwick.
The form guide lists a zero next to the one time hyped up colt but put a pen through it. So says Michael Hawkes.
The man, who trains alongside his Hall of Fame father John and brother Wayne, put the last start Festival Stakes 11th into perspective.
Hawkes explained Ninth Legion “box seated” but the race changed quickly and the consequences for the now gelding weren’t good.
“The favourite White Sage crossed when they gave up the lead and then slowed right up,” Hawkes said on Friday.
“They all went round our horse when the race heated up, he was held up, pocketed all the way up the straight.
“He got knocked from pillar to post, he couldn’t get a run, put a line through it.”
Ninth Legion was a late arrival at the Hawkes stable and after the last campaign was gelded.
“He has got the ability, he had run some really good races behind horses like All Too Hard, Pierro and the like.
“But the reality is, it comes a time when they have to be gelded. Segenhoe decided it was time otherwise they wouldn’t have had a racehorse.
“It gets to a point of no return, it is hard to get colts back if they go off the boil, hopefully he was gelded at the right time.”
Hawkes talks about a horse that has “presence” and one that “has always had the ability”.
“He is a horse going forward,” Hawkes said.
“I know he has never won at the distance but everything points to him running it.
“I know he is flying at home, he is a real good chance.”
So too the lightly raced Maysoon which joins Ninth Legion on the float from Rosehill to Randwick as will the juvenile debutante Mossfun.
“Maysoon was probably a little unlucky last start,” Hawkes said.
“The leader dropped off at the turn and she was left exposed up front. She had to maintain that speed for 400m and was beaten in the last stride.”
Maysoon is the winner of two from four and was stepping up to Saturdaygrade last time round having won at Gosford and Canterbury.
“We’ll roll the dice again,” Hawkes said.
“She is back in distance, she looks good, we cannot fault her.”
The two-year-old Mossfun steps out for the first time in the Inglis Nursery which has $250,000 up for grabs and has attracted a capacity field.
“She has the ability and will definitely improve off the run tomorrow,” Hawkes said.
“With a quarter of a million on offer obviously a lot of stables have set horses for it. These sought of races you need luck, she has drawn good and she does have ability.”
By Craig Young
