Kah drives Nature Strip back into Group 1 winner’s circle
Extreme Choice colt Stay Inside emerges as genuine Golden Slipper contender for the Freedmans
Gifted horsewoman Jamie Kah arrived on the world stage as a jockey yesterday when she steered the sometimes troublesome Nature Strip (Nicconi) to victory in the Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Flemington.
A highly accomplished equestrian with Olympic aspirations, Kah has a fierce reputation for getting the best out of difficult horses and her unique skills came to the fore as she softly guided the six-year-old gelding down the Flemington straight.
After moving clear with 300 metres to run, Nature Strip had enough left in reserve to see off the challenge of his fast finishing stablemate September Run (Exceed And Excel) by half a length. Swats That (Shamus Award) was another length and a quarter away in third.
“What a horse, he’s just unbelievable. That was amazing, it really was. Honestly, I just let him do whatever he wanted to do. He relaxed and dropped the bit and it set it up beautifully for him,” said Kah.
It was the fourth Group 1 success for 25-year-old Kah who currently leads the Melbourne jockey’s premiership by a staggering 20 wins.
It was also her first major win for champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller for whom she’d only ridden twice previously.
“To get on a horse like this for Chris Waller, I just couldn’t imagine it.”
Shortly after dismounting, an emotional Kah, who rode a treble at headquarters yesterday having taken the opener on Quantum Mechanic (Deep Field), as well as partnering Zou Dancer (Zoustar) to victory in the Vanity Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m), was in awe of the horse she had earlier described as “like riding a Ferrari”.
“In his work and trials he does everything so effortlessly. He was in a great mood today and he was when I trialled him. He’s getting better with age,” she said.
It was the fifth Group 1 win for Nature Strip who is Widden Stud stallion Nicconi’s (Bianconi) biggest flag bearer in Australia.
The 2019/2020 Australian Horse of the Year’s career record now stands at 15 wins from 28 starts and he’s banked more than $6 million.
Waller, who watched the race from Randwick, was thrilled to see Nature Strip return to the Group 1 winner’s circle for the first time since landing the TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) last April.
“It was satisfying. We’ve made everybody aware that he was hard to get right in the spring and a few things went against him in his races,” Waller said.
“A horse like him needs everything to go right. It was a well-judged effort and it’s good to have him back.
“It’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes that goes into these types of horses from a lot of people. It was an exciting race to watch.”
Whilst much of the spotlight fell on Nature Strip yesterday, September Run’s effort signalled an exciting autumn campaign ahead.
Waller confirmed last spring’s Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner will return to Flemington for a tilt at the Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) in three weeks’ time.
Stay Inside enters Golden Slipper picture
Whilst Nature Strip was the sole Group 1 race winner in Australia yesterday, two-year-old Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) colt Stay Inside announced himself as one for the future with a dominant performance in the Pierro Plate (1100m) at Randwick.
Now unbeaten in two starts, the Richard and Michael Freedman–trained youngster had jockey James McDonald in raptures after the race and he’s now considered a major contender for next month’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1,1200m).
After defeating Godolphin’s Vianello (Teofilo) by a commanding four lengths, Stay Inside joined Enthaar (Written Tycoon) and Profiteer (Capitalist) at single-figure odds for the $3.5million Rosehill contest on March 20.
When pressed to compare him with the likes of next weekend’s raging Blue Diamond (Gr 1, 1200m) favourite Enthaar, McDonald said: “He’s close to the top there. I love his attitude. He takes everything in his stride and is the ultimate professional. He will be very hard to beat (in the Slipper).
“I just want to get on and ride him again,” said McDonald.
Co-trainer Michael Freedman was hoping for a dominant performance by the youngster to confirm connections have a genuine Slipper contender and he was content with what he saw. He is however under no illusions that Stay Inside needs to raise the bar even higher
“To keep the dream alive he probably had to come out and, not only win today, but win well in my view because he is going to have to go to the next level again in two or three weeks time,” Freedman said.
“The other nice thing is it looks like he handles a wet track so that gives us a few options as well.”
The Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick on March 6 is shaping as the next stepping stone for Stay Inside as he heads towards the Slipper.
Stay Inside was a $200,000 purchase by Freedman Bros at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is one of four winners for Newgate’s first season sire Extreme Choice, along with the Jamie Richards-trained colt Palamos and city winners Abseiler and Tiger Of Malay.
Colette shines on return to set up Queen Elizabeth date
The James Cummings-trained Colette (Hallowed Crown) continued to build the profile of her sire Hallowed Crown (Street Sense) when she made a stunning return to action to take out the Apollo Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m).
Ridden by Rachel King, the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) and Golden Eagle (1500m) winner relished yesterday’s soft track conditions at Randwick, beating a star studded field that included runner-up Kolding (Ocean Park) and 2020 Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Verry Elleegant (Zed), who got motoring late and ran an encouraging third.
The mare had never won below 1500 metres, nor first up, but neither statistic mattered as she came home two lengths clear of her nearest pursuer, producing a performance which connections hope will set her up for a tilt at the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) back at the same track in April.
Cummings was not surprised by the victory and said Colette had been working strongly at home.
He believes she has the potential to emerge as one of the new stars on the block as she continues to mature.
“She is the horse that is really improving from one prep to the next,” he said.
“She got all the way to the Oaks in one campaign and she is only first–up in her third preparation so far.
“She is well and truly on her way to producing perhaps her best preparation.
“She has been going so well she has well and truly got the Queen Elizabeth on her radar and when it gets on the radar, it’s hard to get it off.”
King said she became increasingly confident in Colette’s chances as persistent rain fell at Randwick.
“It was probably the best I’ve had a horse travel on that track all day and when she travelled into the straight like that and got to the top of the rise I knew I still had plenty of horse underneath me.
“To do that without the blinkers on, that’s the first time she’s ever done that and it didn’t seem to worry her. She’s beaten a really good field today and first–up over 1400 metres was a really good effort,” said King.
Colette has now won six of her 12 starts, amassing almost $5 million in prize-money in the process.
Rose blossoms in Light Fingers upset
Flashy Every Rose (Choisir) skipped away to cause an upset In the Light Fingers Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) as she posted a first success since taking out the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) back in October 2019.
Trained by Mark Newnham, the chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail and long white stockings led throughout under Josh Parr to beat the fast-finishing Never Talk (No Nay Never) and favourite Away Game (Snitzel) with less than half a length separating the front three as they hit they line.
Newnham had been thrilled with the three-year-old leading into the race, although a soft track and outside draw dented his confidence.
“Her best runs have been when she’s allowed to gallop,” Newnham said.
“She has got good speed. She won the Gimcrack in similar fashion then just got beaten by King’s Legacy in Brisbane doing that.
“It was heart in the mouth stuff. I was very confident at the corner but it was just a matter of whether her condition would hold out.”
Newnham said the filly had suffered several minor setbacks which had prevented her from adding to her debut win.
“It has been a bit of a patience game with her after winning the Gimcrack Stakes,” he said.
“She’s had a few little niggles but this time in she has had a trouble-free prep and it all went to plan.”
Every Rose was a $160,000 buy for Darby Racing and De Burgh Equine from the Tyreel Stud draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.