The once-retired Time Legend ended a lengthy losing streak when he made a successful New Zealand debut at Te Awamutu this afternoon.

In his first appearance for 18 months, the 20-1 chance finished strongly for rider Jason Jago to comfortably account for the pacemaker Danrose and Heydental Tourist in the VE Veterinary Services 1150.

Time Legend was originally bought at Karaka for $64,000 by Graeme Rogerson for prominent Melbourne owner Lloyd Williams and made an encouraging start to his career in Australia.

Racing as Millbank out of John Sadler’s stable, he won three of his first four outings, including the Gr.3 Red Anchor Stakes at Moonee Valley. That victory as a spring three-year-old in 2008 was his last win before today.

“He was sold for big money to Hong Kong, but he didn’t like the conditions there and the hard ground,” Cambridge trainer and owner John Bell said. “He had a few issues and the owner, a client of mine, sent him back here as a retired horse.

“He started to tear around the place and kicking his heels up so I put him back into work and my client was happy for me to try him again. He hadn’t raced for a year and a-half, but he was quite fit and looks like we’re going to have a nice winter with him.”

Time Legend was given an economical run behind the pace by Jason Jago and they pushed through to lodge their claim in the straight. The six-year-old revelled in his work in the straight to score by three-quarters of a length.

“I haven’t got anything specific in mind for him at this stage and I’ll see how he comes through this race first,” Bell said. “There’s the Opunake Cup, but that will be a hot field so we’ll just wait and see.”