Next month’s Gr.1 Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) is looming large on the horizon for Unusual Legacy (NZ) (Unusual Suspect), who enhanced his growing reputation with an outstanding last-to-first performance in Saturday’s A$160,000 Chandon Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill.
The Benchmark 88 handicap was the fifth win from only an eight-start career for Unusual Legacy, who has earned A$252,945. Trainer Chris Waller shares ownership with his wife Stephanie, along with long-term stable clients the Muollo family.
Unusual Legacy kicked off his five-year-old season with a strong finish for third over 1500m at Rosehill on August 31. The step up to 1800m was expected to be ideal for the Kiwi-bred gelding, who was sent out as a $2.20 favourite on Saturday and produced a performance to match.
Initially caught out wide after jumping from the extreme outside gate, Unusual Legacy was eased back to the tail of the field by jockey Kerrin McEvoy and was a long way from the leaders coming up to the home turn.
But McEvoy brought him to the outside and began to move him through his gears in the straight, and Unusual Legacy lengthened stride stylishly and bounded past the leaders to score by just under a length.
“He’s a really classy individual,” Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said. “He’s obviously owned by Tony Muollo and his family, along with Chris himself and his wife. Tony was one of the very first owners Chris had when he came to Sydney, so this means a lot to the Waller family as well as the Muollos.
“The horse is building a fantastic record. We’re basically working backwards from the Metropolitan, so that’s the big target. Stepping up to 1800m today was always going to be a step in the right direction.
“He quickened up and did a seriously good job picking up that leader down the straight, because he might have got a bit further back than we’d have liked.
“He’s a horse that has definitely needed time. He’s still big and raw and will only get bigger and stronger. He’ll fill out his frame over the next year, basically.
“He’s certainly got an engine. Who knows where the limit is? He stays very well and has a bright future.”
The Metropolitan Handicap will be run at Randwick on October 5. Waller has also nominated Unusual Legacy for the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19 and the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 5.
Saturday’s performance made a good impression on McEvoy, who has now guided him to two wins from two rides.
“He’s a nice, big horse,” McEvoy said. “He had to do a good job today, giving them a start.
“I would have preferred to be in front of a couple of horses, but I had to take the medicine and settle last. He hit the line very well.
“We were a long way off them straightening up, but he showed a good change of gears. He really did power and quicken to the line.”
Unusual Legacy was bred by Letham Stud and is by the Wanganui nursery’s high-strike-rate stallion Unusual Suspect. From just 71 runners, Unusual Suspect has sired 43 winners headed by Listed winner Unusual Countess (NZ) and the multiple Group placegetter Unusual Culture (NZ).
The dam of Unusual Legacy is the winning O’Reilly mare Celtic Legacy (NZ), who has produced four winners from six foals to race.
Unusual Legacy won on debut at Otaki last November for Marton trainer Fraser Auret before being bought privately by his new connections.
