Moe’s Legacy, a sudden winning machine for Ron Harris (photographed) recently, was at it again at Bath on Friday night when completing a hat-trick. At the start of July, the filly had won only twice from 35 starts but boasted a likeable and consistent profile in that period and often made the frame.
Things fell into place at Bath last month and the four-year-old quickly followed up at Salisbury before her most recent success. Ridden by Jason Watson, who had been aboard at Salisbury, Moe’s Legacy was expected to feature once more at Bath last week and went off the 6-5 favourite in a 5½f handicap. Anyone who took those odds had few worries as she travelled powerfully and, despite hanging left, was able to secure a cosy two-length victory.
She is the only horse to have won this year for the Monmouthshire-based Harris, whose daughter Grace was on the mark at the fixture Ffos Las hosted last week. She trains not far away from her father in Shirenewton and is enjoying a fine spell as that result took her tally to 13 Flat winners for 2025 - just two shy of the 15 she managed in the whole of last year. So Smart has contributed two wins to that tally and, in the hands of Kieran O’Neill, was prominent early in a 5f handicap. The pair led a furlong out and were challenged, but So Smart dug in bravely in the closing stages.
Chepstow did not race last week, but on Thursday stages the latest round of the Racing League - a concept in which seven regional teams compete against each other in valuable handicaps that are broadcast live on ITV4. Points are earned across seven races on six successive Thursdays and there are bonus pots for the winning teams and most successful jockey. The seven races at Chepstow this week are worth a total of £330,000.
After the first two weeks, it is advantage to The East team, which has accrued 289 points with London and The South second on 270. The Wales and The West side have work to do in sixth place on 169 points, but team captain Jamie Osborne, the former top jumps jockey and Racing League enthusiast, is likely to have targeted this meeting, so perhaps improvement will be forthcoming.
Gates open at 3.30pm and the first of seven races is at 5.30pm, while the last takes place at 8.30pm. Tickets are available (it is free entry for under 18s) and the forecast is for a dry and sunny evening. A roaming band, childrens’ entertainers, Racing To School and jockey hubs, a treasure hunt and facepainting provides the entertainment off course.
