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Melbourne-based owner with a respect for Toronados, has been rewarded by the 5YO son of Toranado with a thundering performance in the world’s richest sprint race on turf. Masked Crusader is likely to join the Classic Legend Stakes later this month with five other 2021 Everest contenders.
“Whilst he just fell short of winning, we were all extremely proud of his effort. Funny thing though, he still thinks he won,” said Legh.
“The effort to come second to such a good horse was also worth celebrating, so it was decided to open up a bottle of French Champagne.”
“From the moment I saw Tornado run at Royal Ascot, I took a real fancy to him and thought he would make a great stallion and we have supported him every year since.”
To Legh, Masked Crusader has started following in his sire’s footsteps.
“He has matured into a proper racehorse. We didn’t expect to see him fully mature until this spring or even the autumn of next year.”
Whilst Masked Crusader looks slow from the gates, this is not the actual problem for his slow starts. He actually jumps well but does not hit the ground running like some other horses. To help him, our trainer has added winkers to his gear, which we now hope will help him. Should he miss the start, we believe that it might be best to ride the horse wide of the field and with his explosive turn of foot and uninterrupted passage, we believe it would give him a better chance of victory.
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With inter-state travel severely restricted in Australia due to the pandemic, Legh was unable to attend the event to watch his sprinter from the stands.
“Due to the restrictions, my wife and I watched the race from our lounge room.
“I’ve had a lot of seconds in big races before, but this one hurt the most.
“You never want to have a race and have a “what if” after the race.
“Regardless of the tardy start, if he had clear running in the straight, he would have won.
“I’m taking nothing away from the winner as he has proven to be a real champion and all of Australia should be proud of him. He made his own luck and well done and congratulations to his connections.
“In the meanwhile, I am thankful for the media and also the connections of all the other participants. It is such a fun race to be part of,” he said.
Legh has agreed with the trainer to let the horse determine whether he is fit for the Classique Legend Stakes.
“We will let the horse tell us. Look after the horse and he will look after you. He gives his all, so it is very important to make the right decision,” said Legh.