Kenedna has finally nabbed an overdue Group One in winning the Coolmore Legacy Stakes at Randwick.

The five-year-old mare came from behind to snatch victory in the $1 million race.

"She has been knocking on the door for a while, G1 placed. We thought we'd bring her in here, fresh horse on the scene and target this race and go onto Queensland," trainer Ciaron Maher said.

"She came in great order this horse. A great job by the team. That is what it is all about."

"(Jockey John Allen) knows this horse probably better than I do. He does plenty of work for me. I'd say he'll be doing a lot more on the back of this."

For Allen, the win was unexpected, right down to the final moments of the race.

"We had to weave a bit of a passage but she is so tough and so genuine, she really stuck her head out for me late," he said.

"I never thought I was really going to get there, I thought I was going to run a place.

"That last 100 yards though she really surged."

The win was however tinged with sadness following the death of the mother of one of the part-owners Edna, for whom Kenedna was named.

"Someone was watching over us," Allen said.

"Maybe she guided my path from the 400 metres."