Kelsos upbeat ahead of Legarto’s Mufhasa Classic mission
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • December 5th, 2025 11:00 AM • 3 min read
Ken Kelso says he has seen signs of Legarto’s “old self” ahead of the triple Group One winner’s return to the big stage in the Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic at Trentham on Saturday.Legarto lined up in the first two Group One races of the season and was far from disgraced. She was 2.1 lengths behind Quintessa when sixth in the Proisir Plate at Ellerslie on September 6, then 2.4 lengths from Waitak when fifth in the Howden Insurance Mile at Te Rapa three weeks later.
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A foot issue subsequently ruled the Proisir mare out of the Gr.1 Livamol Classic, and Ken Kelso and his wife and co-trainer Bev instead set their sights on Saturday’s Wellington weight-for-age feature.
Legarto has made a pleasing recovery from that setback, and the addition of blinkers appears to have also added a touch of extra spark to the six-year-old. She galloped boldly in blinkers at Tauranga on November 15, then wore them again when she beat Captured By Love by three and a half lengths in an eye-catching trial victory at Te Aroha on November 26.
“I thought her exhibition gallop at Tauranga was very good, and then she went to Te Aroha and trialled quite impressively, and both of those were with the blinkers on,” Ken Kelso told RaceForm.
“It’s something I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while – with the older mares, blinkers can sometimes help to sharpen them up a little bit.
“She also had that foot issue, which forced us to pull her out of the Livamol. It’s all sorted now, but looking back, I wonder if it might have been worrying her for a little while leading up to that.
“With a combination of the foot issue being behind her and the addition of the blinkers, she’s been hitting out as well as she has for a long time. She’s looking like her old self.”
Legarto has continued to please Kelso since last week’s trial, including a smart gallop on Tuesday morning with raceday rider Vinnie Colgan in the saddle.
“She worked nicely this morning,” Kelso said. “Vinnie came over to gallop her. They went with Captured By Love and I thought it was a very strong bit of work. We’re all happy and it’s all systems go.”
Major summer racedays at Trentham have been a happy hunting ground for the Kelsos, with previous visits to the capital city producing victories in the Wellington Cup (Envoy, 2006) and Telegraph (Levante, 2022 and 2023).
The TAB Mufhasa Classic will be Legarto’s first appearance at Trentham in her 19-start career, which has produced 10 wins, four placings and more than $2 million in stakes headed by elite-level triumphs in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas, Australian Guineas and Herbie Dyke Stakes.
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