Friday's $120,000 Carlton Mid Wyong cup will play a vital role in a bid by one of Australia's former leading racing administrators to win a sixth Caulfield Cup.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Andrew Ramsden, the former chairman of the VRC and Australian Racing Board, is a part owner of Viking Legend, formerly trained by Gai Waterhouse but now prepared at Warwick Farm by Ross Simpson and Tracey Barnes.
On Friday the five year old will have his sixth start for his present trainers as he takes the next step of what Simpson calls a long shot campaign to realise Ramsden's ambition.
“Andrew told me he has won five Caulfield Cups and wants a sixth and believes that Viking Legend can do it for him,” Simpson said.
“However the horse only has 50kg in the Caulfield Cup so we are going to need to win a big race and get a penalty to even get into the race.
“Having said that, I could not be happier with the way the horse is going and the step up to the distance of the Wyong Cup will certainly be in his favour.
“I expect him to run a big race.”
Viking Legend has won only two races but there is a lot of quality in the form around him.
As a three year old under Waterhouse's care he ran a close second in the Spring Stakes at Newcastle; won the Dulcify Quality at Randwick; ran third in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick and then went to Melbourne and ran third in the G2 AAMI Vase and G1 Victoria Derby.
The horse was spelled, returned to Sydney but bowed a tendon at his third run back as a 4YO.
“The owners tried to sell him but there was little interest so they gave him a long spell and sent him to us,” Simpson said.
“We have to manage him carefully. He is the first horse to work every morning then he comes home and spends 20 minutes with an ice pack on his leg.
“So far everything is going fine with him.”
At his last start, in the Premier's Cup Prelude (1800m) at Rosehill on August 13, Viking Legend was left in the unusual role of pace maker when fourth, beaten less than half a length.
After Wyong, Viking Legend will go on to the Newcastle Cup on September 14 then to the Metropolitan at Randwick as the bid continues to get to Caulfield.
