At 85, Les Bridge still hungry for success as he prepares Celestial Legend for the Doncaster Mile

Hall of Fame trainer Les Bridge has never had big numbers in his stable, but he always seems to have a good horse … with Doncaster Mile fancy Celestial Legend the latest example.

Les Bridge, Sydney racing’s enduring training legend, always seems to have a good horse in his stable.

The Hall of Fame trainer has put the polish on the likes of Sir Dapper, Kensei, Row Of Waves, Drawn, Joie Denise, Utzon, Hot Danish, Avoid Lightning, Classique Legend and now Celestial Legend.

Bridge regularly produces these top-class racehorses even though he doesn’t have huge stable numbers.

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He averages about 100 starters a season but some of his rivals have twice that many starters in a month.

This hasn’t prevented Bridge from preparing the winners of The Everest, Melbourne Cup, Golden Slipper and many other feature races during his celebrated career.

So, how does Bridge do it? How can he keep finding that next big-race contender?

“Mate, it is easy to identify the slow ones,’’ he said.

Bridge’s reply was typical of the Randwick trainer, a master of understatement, noted for his dry wit and insightful comments.

When prompted further, the trainer responded with typical clarity.

“You know when they are no good,’’ he said.

“Then you get some horses that you think will be good and they end up disappointing you.

“There’s a lot of trackwork stars that just don’t make it on race day. I’ve got a couple here now that if you backed them on their work you would go broke.

“But every now and then, you get one that you just know will go to that elite level. It’s a gut feeling.’’

Celestial Legend will chase Doncaster glory at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Bridge, 85, has had that “feeling” about Celestial Legend, the promising grey three-year-old colt challenging for favouritism in the Group 1 $4m Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Celestial Legend’s rise has been meteoric.

He’s only been to the races seven times, winning three including the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes and Group 1 Randwick Guineas at his last two starts.

The talented son of triple crown winner Dundeel is realising the potential Bridge first spotted months ago.

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It wasn’t so much what Celestial Legend was doing on the track, but more about the colt’s general demeanour which reminded Bridge of a piece of advice he was given by the late Percy Sykes, the renowned veterinarian.

“I wouldn’t say Celestial Legend is a brilliant trackworker, if he is galloping with another horse he will just do enough to beat it,’’ Bridge said.

“But for a colt, he has a great attitude. He has one of the best dispositions of any horse I’ve trained.

“Classique Legend was like that, Hot Danish the same, so was Sir Dapper.

“It’s a good horse’s trait. Percy Sykes always said to me the best racehorses have the best disposition and the best lungs.’’

Celestial Legend gave a physical demonstration of what Bridge is talking about just prior to the Randwick Guineas last month.

The colt was standing quietly in the tie-up stalls – and fell asleep!

“That’s him, he’s not bothered by anything,’’ Bridge said.

“He’s so relaxed, so laid-back. It’s almost like he’s saving his energy for when he needs it most.’’

Veteran trainer Les Bridge with Classique Legend. Picture: Adam Yip

Celestial Legend was woken from his slumber in time for the Randwick Guineas where the grey colt was forced to race three and four-wide without cover for most of the race but still found a way to edge out Militarize in a thrilling finish.

Bridge deliberately decided against giving Celestial Legend another start before the Doncaster as he was mindful of the tough run his colt endured in the Guineas.

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Instead, Celestial Legend tuned up for the Doncaster with a solid barrier trial win over 1200m at Randwick on March 22.

“The trial is all he needed,’’ Bridge said.

“He had a terribly hard run wining the Randwick Guineas and I just wanted him to get over that race.

“He’s still developing but he’s a tough bastard.’’

Celestial Legend is raced by Hong Kong-based Bon Ho who also owned Classique Legend, who Bridge trained to win The Everest in 2020.

Ho didn’t get to see much of Classique Legend race due to the Covid pandemic but will be at Royal Randwick for the Doncaster.

“Bon first started giving me horses about eight years now, he’s been a great supporter of the stable and when he comes down we catch up with him,’’ Bridge said.

“He’s coming for the Doncaster.’’

Bridge celebrates with jockey Kerrin McEvoy after Celestial Legend won the Randwick Guineas. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Celestial Legend is among the main chances in the Doncaster Mile which is in stark contrast to Bridge’s previous winner in the famous Randwick mile way back in 1987 with 100/1 outsider Row Of Waves.

“When Row Of Waves won the race, he was the best welter horse in Sydney,’’ Bridge said.

“He got into the Doncaster with no weight and he could run a strong mile.

“I haven’t many runners in the race since Row Of Waves. I kept Sir Dapper to weight-for-age races when he was an autumn three-year-old and Hot Danish ran in a couple of Doncaster on heavy tracks which didn’t suit her.’’

Celestial Legend, despite his outstanding form this autumn including his Group 1 Randwick Guineas win, has got into the Doncaster with only 49kg.

The three-year-old’s regular jockey, Kerrin McEvoy, is out injured but could not make the weight anyway so Bridge has secured Tyler Schiller for the Doncaster ride.

“I want Tyler to ride the horse at 49kg,’’ Bridge said.

“That is why I’m running him. I know he will never get into a big mile like this with 49kg ever again.’’

Bridge believes Celestial Legend could be the best horse he has ever trained, which is some statement considering he has prepared the likes of champion Sir Dapper and the brilliant Classique Legend, but going into the Doncaster he conceded the colt’s inexperience does concern him.

“Celestial Legend is terrific,’’ Bridge said.

“We can’t have the horse any better for Saturday.

“If he has a weakness it’s probably that he is going to meet a lot of horses that are more seasoned than him. He has only had seven starts.

“It’s still a learning curve for him but he has done so well and the lightweight will help him.’’

The last three-year-old to win the Doncaster was Brutal in 2019. He also carried 49kg but had just six starts prior to the big race.

Bridge is the longest-serving trainer at Randwick, having spent more than 60 years preparing winners out of his High Street stables.

He’s been training at Randwick during Tommy Smith’s 33-year reign as Sydney’s premier trainer, when Bart Cummings called Randwick home, and rubbed shoulders at early morning trackwork with champion trainers like Neville Begg, Maurice McCarten and John Size.

But the maestro is still holding his own at Randwick against today’s greats like the all-powerful Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, Peter and Paul Snowden, and John O’Shea, and he’s still finding that “good horse” every season.

Bridge, renowned by his peers as a master horseman, was asked recently why he hasn’t considered retiring from the daily demands of training racehorses.

His answer was standard Bridge: “Mate, I’m scared I won’t know what to do with myself.’’

Originally published as At 85, Les Bridge still hungry for success as he prepares Celestial Legend for the Doncaster Mile