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By Ray Hickson

Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy expects dual Group 1 winner Celestial Legend to finish top three in Saturday’s Group 2 $300,000 Canadian Club Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill and serve notice he’s set to be a major spring player.

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Mile winner received a pass mark from McEvoy for his first-up performance, beaten 2-1/2 lengths by Encap in the Theo Marks two weeks ago, saying it set a platform for him to improve.

That’s the four-year-old’s pattern as he’s won second-up in two of his three campaigns to date.

“I was pleased with him, he proved to be a little ring rusty but we were expecting nice improvement out of the first-up run which is what he’s previously shown us,’’ McEvoy said.

“It was a starting point and we’re going to get different conditions on Saturday but out in trip I can see him enjoying it.

“You’ve got to be contending in this race, you’ve got to be right there. I’m expecting a 1-2-3 finish for sure, it’d be nice to see that before he goes on to the big ones.”

Trainer Les Bridge has Celestial Legend aimed at the $10m James Squire Golden Eagle (1500m) on November 2, he’s $5 with TAB second favourite behind the Japanese galloper Ascoli Piceno.

He has 56kg in next week’s TAB Epsom but it’s likely his next run will be the Group 1 $5m King Charles III Stakes (1600m) on TAB Everest Day where he’s on the fourth line of betting at $8.

McEvoy said while Celestial Legend, $5 with TAB on Friday, still has the 59kg to carry in the Shannon he’s certain to enjoy the likelihood of a solid tempo and some give in the track.

“We’ve still got the penalty and we have to contend with that being a dual Group 1 winner but he can definitely be harder to beat,’’ he said.

“Soft conditions are more to his liking than what the track was like first-up so if it ends up in the soft range it’s perfect for him.

“A faster pace is what suits these good horses and that’s what he enjoys. I’d appreciate it if it’s a nice gallop.”

Like most onlookers, McEvoy was taken with the first-up effort of Linebacker as he heads into the Group 1 $1 million James Squire Golden Rose (1400m).

And with the run under his belt, that slashing fourth behind Traffic Warden two weeks ago, and the step up in distance he expects to be in a more striking position as opposed to turning last.

“I think we rode a quiet race the other day because of the gate but it could be a race where we are closer in the run this time and 1400m is a trip he’s shown he can handle well,’’ McEvoy said.

“He’s come out of that last run really well, I worked him Tuesday morning and he was brilliant so I think he’s on song for a nice next couple of runs.”

Linebacker was runner-up to Golden Rose rival Broadsiding on a heavy track in the Champagne Stakes earlier this year and McEvoy said soft ground will be idea.

Promising stayer Unusual Legacy hasn’t seen worse than a soft 5 in his eight starts to date but he’s a horse that McEvoy says is all upside and couldn’t be anything other than impressed with his win two weeks ago.

Celestial Legend's first-up run at Rosehill on September 14

The Chris Waller-trained gelding has 50kg in next week’s Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) and a win in the EGroup Protective Services Handicap (1900m) would aid in getting him into the field.

“He’s still on the raw side and a nice staying type going through the grades,’’ he said.

“That was a good win given they controlled it from the front the other day so to dash home and get his bib in front was a positive step for his career.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting