Being a consistently good performer over both hurdles and fences, by Midnight Legend and trained by Ben Case (from whom I had purchased Midnight Jazz), Graceful Legend was an obvious target in my ongoing search for ‘potentially good broodmares at an affordable price’.
In addition, her dam was by Presenting (increasingly showing himself to be an outstanding broodmare sire) and a full-sister to the high-class jumper, TURPIN GREEN, who was good enough to beat My Way De Solzen in a Grade 2 hurdle and later finish only 5 lengths behind Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer when third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
I first expressed an interest in Graceful Legend at the time we bought Midnight Jazz. Some time later, I ran into Ben at the Fairyhouse November Sale and he suggested that ‘Gracie’ was to be sold, since her owner had little ongoing interest in racing. I expressed suitably polite interest, but this grew rather greater later that day, when, whilst sitting in the Fairyhouse bar, I watched Gracie run out an impressive winner of the Anne Duchess of Westminster Chase at Bangor. Congratulations were duly offered to the trainer and a deal agreed whereby I would purchase the mare but lease her back for Ben to race for the remainder of the season, with a contingency if she were to win a Black-Type race.
The mare ran well in her remaining two races but not such as to trigger the contingency, stumbling when set for second or third to Magic Of Light in the Listed TBA/EBF Mares Chase at Newbury, then running a good second when ridden by Ben’s son, Charlie, in an Amateur Riders Chase at Ascot.
Overall, Graceful Legend’s record showed remarkable consistency: she won 7 races (five hurdles and two chases) and placed in the first four a further 14 times in just 29 races, achieving Official Ratings of 137 over both hurdles and fences, with RPRs of 136 and 137 respectively.
Her all-important (to the value of her foals) Black-Type placing came in the Grade 2 Warfield Hurdle at Ascot, although here she ran only to an RPR of 119 when well beaten by La Bague Au Roi. She ran well on ground from Good / Soft to Heavy, like her paternal siblings, Cresswell Breeze and Midnight Target.
A touch of brilliance from the stallion, added to proven jumping ability, toughness and soundness in the dam, might just produce something special in the offspring – at least that’s the theory. It’s too early yet to kmow if it’s working but her foals are showing promise, as indicated below.
For full details of Graceful Legend’s breeding career, click on the Broodmares tab.