Long wait for Leger Legends victory finally over for Gary Bardwell

GARY Bardwell just edged out Robert Winston to finally win the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster on Natural Colour.
Jockey Gary Bardwell celebrates winning the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes on Natural Colour during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.Jockey Gary Bardwell celebrates winning the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes on Natural Colour during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.
Jockey Gary Bardwell celebrates winning the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes on Natural Colour during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.

Bardwell, a former champion apprentice, has been a regular down the years in a race that raises money for jack Berry House, the Injured Jockeys Fund rehab centre at Malton, and the National Horseracing College.

But Bardwell had never troubled the judge before now after hitting the front a furlong out on the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Natural Colour.

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However, Winston was getting a real tune out of joint-favourite Shining Aitch and flew close home, only to fail by the narrowest of margins.

Jockey Gary Bardwell celebrates winning the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes on Natural Colour during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.Jockey Gary Bardwell celebrates winning the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes on Natural Colour during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.
Jockey Gary Bardwell celebrates winning the Mondialiste Leger Legends Classified Stakes on Natural Colour during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.

Barry Geraghty finished sixth on Mumtaaz, with Richard Johnson fading into seventh on Greek Kodiac having helped make the running.

Bardwell, who rode in the very first Leger Legends in 2010, said: “I’m over the moon.

“Thanks to Saeed, what a pleasure to ride in these famous blue colours of Godolphin. I’m lost for words.

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“This is probably the first year that I’ve really got fit for it, I’ve been in training for six weeks in the gym, running every night.

A racegoer during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.A racegoer during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.
A racegoer during Legends Day of the Cazoo St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse.

“Today I didn’t have one drink, I had nothing to eat but a bit of toast this morning.

“I knew she’d give me everything and I had to be ready for her. This is up with the best of all my big winners.”

Former champion jump jockey Johnson said: “It was good fun - they just went a bit quicker than I did over the last two furlongs.

“It’s lovely to be here today, in this amazing weather.

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“Fi (wife Fiona) just joked, because she obviously couldn’t come to my last race (retirement at Newton Abbot) because of Covid, that it’s quite nice she’s seen me have my proper last race now.

“It’s fantastic that Doncaster put this race on and raised a huge amount of money for the IJF and different charities.

“It’s lovely to be part of it – all the lads riding have enjoyed it, and we can go back now and have a drink and cool down.”

Meanwhile a step up in trip is expected to help Save A Forest raise her game for the Hippo Pro3 Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes – one of the highlights on Ladies Day at the Leger meeting.

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The Roger Varian-trained Kingman filly has already made giant strides this year, progressing from a maiden win at Wolverhampton to landing Listed honours at Newmarket on her latest appearance.

During the intervening period, Save A Forest won a Windsor handicap, finished second in the Lingfield Oaks Trial and placed fourth behind the brilliant Snowfall in the Oaks at Epsom.

She has 9lb to find with John and Thady Gosden’s likely favourite Free Wind but Varian observed: “It looks like her running style will suit the step up in trip and we’ll have to see how it plays out on the day.

“She seems versatile ground-wise. If we had our choice we’d prefer a bit more ease in the ground, but it is what it is.”

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Save A Forest had the option of taking on the boys in Saturday’s Cazoo St Leger, but connections opted to keep the filly against her own sex. Varian added: “She’d have been a big outsider in the Leger, whereas she looks to have a genuine chance in the Park Hill.”

STRADIVARIUS will face six rivals as he bids for a second Doncaster Cup win on Town Moor tomorrow.

John and Thady Gosden’s charge will be making his third trip to the Yorkshire track, having won this race in 2019 and finished a close third in the 2017 St Leger.

Having disappointed when finishing fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup, Stradivarius returned to winning form with a narrow victory over Spanish Mission in the Lonsdale Cup at York last month.

Meanwhile Trueshan, who was a non runner at York due to quick ground, could now get his chance to take on Stradivarius – provided that the forecast rain materialises.

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