National Colour’s grandson Celestial Legend (red striped cap) wins his second Gr 1 in succession (Picture: FoxSports.com.au)
SA-bred National Assembly mare National Colour’s grey daughter by Snitzel, Sarraqa, is dam of current Australian-based dual Gr 1-winning colt Celestial Legend. This grey Dundeel colt won the Gr 1 Randwick Guineas on March 9 and today (Saturday April 6) won the Gr 1 Aus$4million The Star Doncaster Mile, a handicap race which had its inaugural running over 150 years ago in 1866.
Celestial Legend is trained by Hall Of Famer Les Bridge, who has been training out of his Randwick Stables for 60 years. The Arrowfield-bred colt was an $AUS220,000 purchase. He carried just 49kg on Saturday and was ridden by Tyler Schiller.
National Colour, who was bred by Advocate Altus Joubert, was one of the best sprinting fillies ever seen in ths country and this year’s BSA National Yearling Sale will mark the 20th anniversary of her being sold at this same Sale.
The Sean Tarry-trained grey was known for her exceptional gatespeed and blistering pace, two assets which enabled her to win the 2006 Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1160m by 4,25 lengths as a three-year-old.
She followed up by winning the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint and the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint.
She then went to Dubai and won a sprint on the dirt over 1000m before failing in the Gr 1 Golden Shaheen on the dirt.
She then went to England and was sixth in the Gr 1 Kings Stand Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting, before being caught late in the Gr 1 Nunthorpe and losing by a half-a-length.
The Nunthorpe was unfortunately run at Newmarket that season, because the usual flatter and faster York venue would have suited her.
Her swansong was in the Gr 1 Prix de l’Abbaye, a course and distance which would have also suited her down to the ground, but unfortunately a false start caused chaos and ruined the race.
However, National Colour more than made up for her tough luck in Europe by becoming a magnificent broodmare.
She is the dam of Gr 1-producing SA-based sire Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) and is dam of Rafeef’s full brother Mustaaqueem, who won the SA Nursery when it was a Gr 1 and now stands at stud in Chile.
Her legacy is now continuing in to the next generation via Celestial Legend.
