Fastnet Sprinter Wins again

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 two weeks ago and made it back to back stakes wins when capturing the Listed ATC Civic Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. The Segenhoe Thoroughbreds owned six year-old was transferred to the care of ex-jockey turned trainer Peter Robl this year and the move has been a good one. He jumped fast from an outside gate for Sam Clipperton to sit outside the leader and was too strong in the run to the line to win the 1350 metre feature by a long head. "He’s a marvellous old horse,” Robl said. "He was a terrific horse to me as a jockey and he’s been a terrific horse to me as a trainer.” 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 eight wins and 10 placings from 43 starts with prizemoney topping $982,000. A three-quarter brother to recent 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 one of 12 Australian stakes-winners this season for champion sire Fastnet Rock.