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2002 INTERNATIONAL CARGO EXPRESS RISING STARS 3YO CHAMPIONSHIP

It appears Jim and Susan Wakefield have another good 'London' horse. 'Legend' is the lastest, a worthy addition by the look of it to their earlier forebearers, London Pride and London Express, who under the guidance of Cran Dalgety won eight and seven races respectively.

Although London Legend has only won the one race, he has claims to be in their company, for his opening account came in the Group 2 International Cargo Express Rising Stars Championship.

On the face of it, London Legend was on a cheeky assignment. But Dalgety didn't see it quite that way. "If you had looked at the horse's stats, he had a case. He ran a half in 55.8 at Forbury when he finished second, then ran a two minute rate at his next start there which was quicker than what Russian Road went on the same night. As far as speed goes, he would be in the top bracket with some of the others I have had," he said.

It wasn't always like that, and it was fortunate that he found a mate in Dalgety. "He had no idea how to pace," he said. "But he had such a kind attitude, and he always wanted to help. For a start, he would just pace in spurts, fifty to a hundred metres, but he could pace it very quick. London Pride was very similar. It was also a period where you didn't want to encourage the owners out because his legs were chaffed and blown up. "We tried him over three campaigns, and the day he qualified at Ashburton he ran a quarter in 26.5. What we knew then was that he had speed, but we had no idea on what he was like for stamina," he said.

London Legend was one of the Studholme Park draft at the Yearling Sales, and was bought by the Wakefields for $22,000. Dalgety pushed hard to get him. "I had to twist Jim's arm on this one. He had the same grandam as Classy Filly" - a big winner for Dalgety - "and I have always liked his maternal family," he said.

In their pre-race plans, Dalgety and driver Mark Jones thought they would get a passing lane shot if Franco Eruption led as they thought he would from gate one. That didn't happen, and they were forced to come from the back brought into the finish on the back of Russian Road, who finished second.

"We will make the late payment now for the Sires' Stakes Series and run in the heat at Addington this week," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 09Oct02

White Arrow & Wayne Higgs race toward the Nobilo

The day after winning the Nobilo, Wayne Higgs was taking time to think about it. White Arrow's surprise win in the Group 2 sprint has opened doors previously closed, and Higgs is set to go inside. "I'm pretty thrilled," he said. "We are talking the NZ Cup, the Auckland Cup, the Hunter Cup and the Inter-Dominions. And I'm just the man to travel."

White Arrow made full use of his inside draw and a trailing trip behind Flying Sands to work up the passing lane at Addington and take last week's feature off London Legend. Higgs thought the winning margin - a half-length - could have been more. "He was just winding up at the end because I had two or three goes at pulling the cord to take out his ear plugs. He is a long horse in the cart, and it took me thirty or forty metres before they came out. It is a wee thing we need to get sorted out," he said

Higgs has always championed the merits of White Arrow. This season he has been calling him "a monster," which in the context of what Higgs means is a horse who has come of age and could do something awesome. "I guess a lot of people might look upon him as another Borana or Smooth Dominion; it's up to him. But he is a very good stayer. He won the Nelson Cup by six of seven lengths, and when he won the Marlborough Cup he had a very tough trip and a speed duel, ran the 3000 metres in 4:05 and still kept giving. And while others might be better from the mobile, he has speed from a stand."

White Arrow, a 6-year-old bay by Sands A Flyin, has not had the smooth preparation Higgs had planned to give him but the wheels are back on now. "We missed a workout and the Avon City Cup when he got kicked and it was quite serious. We were chasing our tail after that, and he was down a bit after racing at Oamaru and then at Addington four days later. He didn't eat up the night after that, but he cleaned up after the Nobilo and is one happy horse."

If Higgs had one question going into the Nobilo it was how White Arrow would address the mobile start. "I was concerned because he had never won from a mobile before. But I was able to give him two laps at three-quarter pace for his preliminary. I could not have done that with him six months ago. From a training perspective, that was the winning of the race."

Credit: mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 10Oct05