Everest Legend Flies in Sha Tin Trial

World-class The Everest winner Classique Legend (Not a Single Doubt-Pinocchio, by Encosta de Lago) won a trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday by three-quarters of a length with Hong Kong champion Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro-Gaudeamus, by Distorted Humor) behind him, reports scmp.com. “We all saw it, he jumped out well, travelled well and did everything right,” jockey Zac Purton said of the Tyreel Stud-consigned Inglis Easter colt. “There is certainly a fair bit of improvement in him you’d think.” Purton will ride Classique Legend in next month’s Gr1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, with the ride ending a six-month standoff between Purton and championship leading trainer Caspar Fownes. Following the triasl, trainer Francis Lui indicated he will likely abort plans for Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro) to run over 2000m in the Gr1 QEII Cup against a host of Japanese raiders such as Daring Tact (Epiphaneia), and instead head towards the Champions Mile. “We are still thinking about it, but maybe the Champions Mile at this stage, we are leaning that way at the moment,” Lui said. Golden Sixty has won sixteen of his 17 starts.

Classique Legend was superb in his trial (pic: hkjc.com)