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By Ray Hickson

There’s no room for error when you’re targeting a $10 million race.

Trainer Ken Kelso (Pic: Race Images South)

So on that score trainer Ken Kelso says things couldn’t have panned out better for his star mare Legarto heading into Saturday’s James Squire Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill.

The only question remaining is whether Legarto can prove the best of her age and snare the trainer and his co-trainer wife Bev the biggest win of their career.

Kelso, who has been training for some 40 years and has a small team at Matamata on New Zealand’s North Island, has no doubt where she sits among the horses he’s had anything to do with.

“I think she’s the best I’ve had,’’ he said.

“We’re going to find out how good but it’s a $10 million race so it’s going to be a reasonable field.

“You’d be dreaming if you think it’s not going to be, but the form looks good.

“Attrition came back and won the Toorak, she beat him in the Guineas, and she’s had good form around Prowess and she came out to win on Saturday.

“I’m quite happy to be in the race and to see how good she is.”

Legarto is one of eight Group 1 winners in the 20 horse Golden Eagle field and there’s an argument that she should be unbeaten in her nine starts.

She’s won seven of them, was narrowly beaten first-up this spring and didn’t get a shot at them in her only unplaced effort which was a fourth behind another star Kiwi in Prowess in the Karaka Million Three-Year-Old Classic back in January.

Kelso said he’s been able to plan her assault on the Golden Eagle to the minute even allowing for missing one race – the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) on September 30 due to a very heavy track – as he had the plan B of the Listed Matamata Cup over the same trip a week later.

She was kept ticking over with an exhibition gallop at Rotorua on October 26 prior to the trip to Sydney.

“I’m very happy with how things have gone,’’ he said.

“It was a huge blessing (missing the Arrowfield), she got to run the week later at Matamata which she won so she didn’t miss anything.

“She’s got to be a little bit fresh to go 1500m at Rosehill, she’s got a trip over there and her final gallop on Tuesday morning.”

The four-year-old was on the fourth line of betting with TAB at $8 prior to the barrier draw which Kelso said will shape some of how the race is handled though he expects she’ll still drift back to a degree regardless of the marble.

He said there are pluses and minuses to “drawing too well” but ultimately when the gates open it’s out of his hands.

"She's back and back big time"

Legarto is back in the winners circle as she wins the Listed Matamata Cup for trainers Ken & Bev Kelso and ridden by @RyanEll98744011 pic.twitter.com/72Z8b3SRGI

— TAB Racing (@TAB_Racing) October 7, 2023

“In the Karaka Million we drew one and got stuck back on the inside, we got poleaxed and never got a run,’’ he said.

“If it’s a pretty hot pace she’ll probably get back a bit but with clear air she always finds the line. That’ll be Michael Dee’s job.

“You’d like to think the best is still ahead, she’s a big strong girl.

“She’s really improved between three and four. As a three-year-old she looked like a four-year-old. All going well there should be a lot in front of her.”

All the fields and form for Saturday’s Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens