Legal Eagle hits R5.8m earnings

STEINHOFF boss Markus Jooste loves nothing more than a profitable investment, and he has one in the form of four-year-old racehorse, Legal Eagle.

Purchased by Jooste for R425,000 as a yearling, Legal Eagle took his career earnings to more than R5.8m with his victory in last Saturday’s Premier’s Champions Challenge at Turffontein.

That win completed an outstanding day for champion trainer Sean Tarry, who won two other grade 1 events with Carry On Alice and Cloth Of Cloud.

The question that now faces Jooste and Tarry is the route to take with Legal Eagle, who cannot achieve much more in SA.

There is, of course, the possibility of another tilt at the Vodacom Durban July, where Legal Eagle did not enjoy the best of luck participating last year.

Alternatively, there is the option of campaigning overseas.

Jooste has already enjoyed success abroad, with Variety Club capturing the grade 1 Champions Mile in Hong Kong in 2014. A possible route would be a trip to Australia next April, from where Legal Eagle could travel to Hong Kong later in the year.

Asked whether he thought an overseas campaign was on the cards for Legal Eagle, Derek Brugman, Jooste’s racing manager, commented: “It’ too early to speculate on his future as discussions will have to take place between Mr Jooste and Sean Tarry.”

Tarry’s four wins on Saturday should ensure he lands another trainer’s title and he is in a good position to better last season’s record earnings of R25.9m. The one performance that really got race-goers staring in disbelief was Cloth Of Cloud’s win in the grade 1 South African Nursery race.

The Captain Al filly is skittish, and favourite backers must have feared the worst when she gave trouble at the start and was also tardy when the gates opened.

With 200m to run, Rivarine looked to have the race in the bag, but jockey S’manga Khumalo conjured an amazing finishing burst from Cloth Of Cloud to get her head in front close to home.