Charming Legend digs deep to make it two from two with Randwick Midway win which could be his last in Australia

Charming Legend showed just how progressive he is with a determined Midway win at Randwick to stay unbeaten.

Reece Jones drives Charming Legend to victory in the Midway at Randwick to maintain his unbeaten record. Picture: Getty Images

Hall of Fame trainer Les Bridge revealed unbeaten Charming Legend’s racing future might be in Hong Kong after a tough win at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

“I think Charming Legend might be going to Hong Kong,” Bridge said.

“He’s a nice horse, he will only get better and his owner is keen to race him up there.”

Charming Legend is owned by Hong Kong-based Bon Ho, who has raced Bridge’s superstar duo of 2020 The Everest winner Classique Legend and this year’s Doncaster Mile hero Celestial Legend.

But the maestro said Charming Legend seems destined to do his future racing in Hong Kong.

“I like him as a horse and he did a good job to win today,” Bridge said of Charming Legend.

“But if he is going to make it, then he needed to win that race. He’s only had the two starts and is going to continue to improve with racing.”

Charming Legend scrapes in!

The son of Deep Field makes it a perfect 2/2 start to his career for master trainer Les Bridge ✅✅@racing_nsw@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/s74Qq2xrtE

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 13, 2024

Charming Legend ($4.20), a rising four-year-old by leading stallion Deep Field and cost $550,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale two years ago, was ridden by Reece Jones, scored the narrowest of wins from Dr Evil ($4.20) with November Falls ($4 favourite) one-and-a-quarter lengths away third.

Jones said Charming Legend, who also won on debut at Kensington last month, showed admirable determination to hold off the late surge of Dr Evil.

“Charming Legend was four and a half weeks between runs and he was a bit on the fresh side,” Jones said.

“I didn’t expect him to put himself that close and he got left in front a fair way out.

“But when Nash (Rawiller, rider of Dr Evil) came up the inside my horse fought back hard to win. He’s a progressive horse.”

Bridge also revealed the outstanding Celestial Legend is back in light work at his Randwick stables ahead of a spring campaign aimed at the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill.

“Celestial Legend has improved,” Bridge declared. “Nothing is set in stone yet but he will barrier trial in about five weeks and then we will look to finalise his spring campaign.”

Celestial Legend is early TAB Fixed Odds favourite at $4.50 for the Golden Eagle on November 2 but the gifted grey-bay colt is also prominent in betting at $15 for the $20 million The Everest and $6 for the $5 million King Charles III Stakes, both run at Royal Randwick on October 19.

Originally published as Charming Legend digs deep to make it two from two with Randwick Midway win which could be his last in Australia