Reece Jones and good mate Zac Lloyd embraced in the stewards room more than 30 minutes after a stirring battle the length of the Randwick straight between Land Legend and Zardozi, but only one jockey had a winning smile after Saturday’s Metropolitan.
Jones had driven Land Legend head down at the end of the 2400m to hold a short half-head margin from Zardozi for his first group 1 victory.
Reece Jones celebrates his win on Land Legend in The Metropolitan at Randwick on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
But the battle on the track had a better sequel in the stewards room, where the young jockeys went from jockeys to lawyers.
“You’re stressing me out,” Jones said to Lloyd after stewards decided not to alter the placing after a tense protest that could have gone either way.
Lloyd had alleged interference on the home turn, 400m from home, when Land Legend came around Zardozi and gave her a significant bump.
“It cost me a half-length,” Lloyd told stewards. “The bump was enough to force me in two horse widths.
“It cost me momentum at a crucial time in the race and I had to make that half-length back and I did get back in front.
“But it cost me more than the [winning] margin, at least a neck or half-length.”
Land Legend ($7.50) and Zardozi ($7) surged together for 400m and it was only the final thrust to the line that gave Jones and Land Legend victory.
Lloyd had a compelling case he should have never been behind Land Legend as they left $4.80 favourite Unusual Legacy 3½ lengths in their wake in third.
Jones argued that some pressure had come from the inside, but admitted the horses had come together as Land Legend hang in on the point of the turn
“I’m entitled to hold my tight line, there was pressure from the inside that didn’t help,” Jones said.
In dismissing the protest, chief steward Steve Railton acknowledged there was a bump, but felt it wasn’t enough for the result to be overturned.
Jones had little time to celebrate a maiden group 1 before being summoned to the steward room.
“It’s a little bit surreal. I’ve been waiting for this day for a while,” Jones said.
“I’ve kind of waited my turn. It’s surreal, don’t get me wrong. I’m not the emotional type, but this is fantastic. I can’t be more happy.”
He had ridden a perfect race on the strongest stayer, finding the back of Zardozi in the three-wide line before out-duelling her in a memorable finish.
“I knew if I found the back of Zardozi, I’d be right in the finish,” Jones said. “She took me everywhere I needed to go. I didn’t want to trust his turn of foot against her, so I just made sure he was up and mobile, similar to when he won the St Leger.
“He was terrific and tough.”
It had been Lloyd’s day until the Metropolitan. He had won the opening race on State of America, then the Flight Stakes on the Chris Waller-trained Lady Shenandoah before causing a blowout on $41 outsider Airman in the Premiere Stakes.
Land Legend gave Waller a second group 1 in Sydney for the day and he would add the Turnbull Stakes quinella with Via Sistina beating Buckaroo at Flemington.
Land Legend qualifies for the Caulfield Cup with his Metropolitan victory, where he was into $11 third favourite.
“We picked this race out I guess six months ago and said we’ll do it third-up and make sure we’ve still got something left for the rest of the spring as well,” Waller said.
“When it was a hard-fought finish I just wondered whether his condition would hold out because he’s actually quite a gross horse, he’s a bit of a bulldog. And he was tough the last 100m.”
