A cautious approach to campaigning star Kiwi gallopers at the Sydney autumn carnival has this year been cast aside and Matamata trainer Lance Noble is getting in on the act.
Noble will produce three-time Group One winner Viadana in Saturday’s Group 1 A$1 million Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, one of nearly a dozen Kiwi gallopers chasing down the massive prize pool on offer on one of Australia’s biggest days of racing.
It will be just Noble’s second runner in Australia in his own right after Geeza campaigned in Brisbane in 2009, twice placing in stakes races in three outings.
However, his involvement in campaigning horses in Australian racing goes back to Cool Reception, who ran second to Durbridge in the 1991 Australian Derby for Noble’s former co-trainer Jim Gibbs, and Madam Valeta a couple of years later.
Noble also supervised Australian campaigns for Group One winners Roysyn and Corndale for another former training partner, Roger James.
While Kiwi three-year-olds such as Nom du Jeu, Daffodil, Jimmy Choux, Habibi and It’s A Dundeel have flown the New Zealand flag in recent years at the Sydney autumn carnival, there was a period before that when participation from this side of the Tasman was next to non-existent – and even in recent years the participation of older horses in Group One features has been rare.
“There were a few years when I’d say New Zealand trainers were over-cautious about taking their horses to Sydney,” Noble said, noting the strong Kiwi invasion in Sydney this year.
“It was like there was a feeling that our horses weren’t good enough, but I’ve always maintained that our top horses have always measured up. Sure it’s a long way to come to get beaten, but if you don’t come over, you can’t win. We wanted to give Viadana her chance and I’d like to think she can measure up.”
Noble is taking the Towkay six-year-old mare to Sydney in the peak of her powers. In her past two starts she has won the Group 2 Japan-New Zealand International Stakes (1600m) at Tauranga and the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha, beating the John Bary-trained Recite, a race rival again on Saturday.
That followed earlier success in the Group 1 NRM Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in February as Viadana added to her earlier Group One scalp of last year’s Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie.
Noble said the fortnight between races wasn’t ideal for Viadana, who had won her previous Group One races with longer periods between races, but he was thrilled with her condition ahead of her Australian debut.
“Normally we’d prefer to space her races more than two weeks. We could have gone four weeks from Tauranga and that would have been ideal if it wasn’t for Te Aroha in the middle, but I definitely didn’t want to miss Te Aroha.
“We’re here, she’s fit and I haven’t had to do anything with her for two weeks. She’s nice and bright and happy. I’m not saying I can improve her from her Te Aroha run, but if I can have her in the same sort of order we’ll be very competitive. Being a million-dollar race with only nine others in it, we’re definitely in with a shot, but they are 10 quality horses.”
Noble has booked Craig Williams to ride Viadana, who has drawn barrier three, though he admitted he was concerned about how she would handle a heavy track at Randwick.
“We got out of the airport and it was raining which wasn’t ideal, but it is what it is. It’s the same for everyone,” he said.
Noble arrived in Sydney on Tuesday ahead of Viadana’s arrival with travelling companion Bounding later that night.
Noble’s wife Leigh, who syndicated Viadana, was scheduled to arrive in Sydney on Wednesday with the complete ownership group of the Easdon No. 4 Racing Syndicate filtering in ahead of Saturday’s race.
“It’s great. This is what it’s all about. To have a horse good enough to come over and compete on a raceday like this, it’s great for me and the owners. Above all, the horse deserves to be here,” Noble said.
– NZ Racing Desk
