Ninth Legion to try for second stakes win

Now Ninth Legion has recaptured winning form, trainer Peter Robl will give him every chance to build on his Eye Liner Stakes victory.

Ninth Legion scored his first win in 510 days in Saturday’s Listed race to give Robl his second black-type success since injury ended his riding career.

Robl injured his neck in a fall at Scone in January 2014 and spent the next two years learning his new craft before getting his trainer’s licence in December last year.

His Group One victories in the saddle included the Group One Rosehill Guineas (Dealer Principal), J J Atkins (Linky Dink), Champagne Stakes (Onemorenomore) and BTC Cup (Your Song).

Robl counts himself lucky to be training for the Segenhoe Stud operation and plans to repay them in full.

Ninth Legion was Group One placed and won the 2013 Villiers Stakes as a younger horse but had been struggling before Robl took him over for this campaign.

“I have a theory that while they say winning can be a habit, losing can also be a habit for these older horses. So I sat down and mapped out a way to get him back thinking like a winner,” Robl said.

He picked out two lead-up races at Scone and Rosehill with the ultimate aim to reintroduce blinkers on Ninth Legion and win the Eye Liner stakes.

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“We aimed up here because he needs a dry track,” Robl said.

“He was well beaten at Rosehill at his previous start but the track was a bog. I was worried when they downgraded the Ipswich track but everything fell into place,” Robl said.

Ninth Legion will now press on to the Listed Glasshouse Mountain Handicap in a fortnight.

Robl was just as proud of Iggi Pop despite the gelding finishing sixth in the Ipswich Cup.

Iggi Pop, the 2014 Queensland Cup winner, missed a year of racing with a serious leg injury which threatened to end his career.

“He was retired but when he was doing so well we got him back in work. He has been sound this entire campaign and really done a good job,” Robl said.

“I know he hasn’t won but he has been second in the Toowoomba, Wagga and McKell Cups earning more than $80,000.”

Worthy Cause bowed a tendon in the Ipswich Cup and trainer John Zielke said he would be retired with connections hoping to secure a stud career.

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