Fastnet Rock Sprinter Wins Stakes

Talented sprinter Ninth Legion (6g Fastnet Rock  x Xaar's Jewel, by Xaar) ended a long run of outs when taking out the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich on Saturday. The Segenhoe Thoroughbreds owned gelding was transferred to the care of Peter Robl this year and he produced Ninth Legion in top shape at his third run back from a spell. He travelled well for Damian Brown in third place just behind the leaders and kicked hard to the line to win the 1350 metre sprint by a length. "They say winning is a habit, but sometimes with these old horses losing is habit. I was a bit worried he was getting that way," Robl said. "But we decided to set him for the Eye Liner Stakes and gave him two lead-up runs on unsuitable tracks. We came here looking for a dry track and I was a bit worried when it went down to a soft five. "However, we had blinkers back on him and a top jockey in Damian (Browne) which proved a winning formula. It is a nice when a long term plan comes off." Ninth Legion was a modest $110,000 purchase from the Edinglassie Stud draft at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for Segenhoe Thoroughbreds. His overall record is now seven wins and s10 placings from 42 starts with prizemoney topping $922,000. A three-quarter brother to last week’s Group II BRC Queensland Guineas winner Tsaritsa, he is the first foal of Xaar’s Jewel, a winning half-sister to stakes-winner Kidlat and to the dam of Group I NZ Two Thousand Guineas winner Tell a Tale. Ninth Legion is the 12^th Australian stakes-winner this season for champion sire Fastnet Rock.