Having claimed a first Group One victory for Cambridge Stud owners Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay with Jaarffi at Ellerslie last Saturday, Lance Noble is hoping to add to that tally back at headquarters on Champions Day.
Noble was familiar with Group One success from the early stages of his training career, initially in partnership with his mentor Jim Gibbs, then with fellow Gibbs protégé Roger James and most notably from his own stable with triple Group One-winning racemare Viadana in 2013-14.
In the decade since he was appointed private trainer for the Lindsays at their well-appointed Karaka property, further elite success had eluded Noble, albeit by narrow margins on a number of occasions.
Jaarffi was one of those Group One placegetters, having gone down by a short head to Provence in last year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at the inaugural Champions Day and second again behind Kingswood in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
“Since the Zabeel Classic the plan was to target two more Group Ones, either go to Te Rapa for the Herbie Dyke Stakes or wait for the Otaki-Maori Classic and then to the Bonecrusher Stakes on Champions Day as her grand final,” Noble said.
“In the end we decided on the two Ellerslie races as she does go well there, and it was great for Sir Brendan, Lady Jo and everyone to see her get up and win on Saturday.
“She’s tough and not the easiest to deal with, but that tough streak stands to her on raceday, as we saw on Saturday after she’d had a pretty tough trip.
“She’s come through it well and all going to plan she’ll be there next week for what might be her last start; after all she’s six years old and as a Group One winner she’ll be another valuable addition to the Cambridge Stud broodmare band.”
At the other end of the spectrum, Noble is also looking forward to the Group One debut of talented two-year-old Liguria in the Sistema Stakes (1200m).
The daughter of champion stallion Snitzel and the Noble-trained Vernazza, winner of the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and runner-up in the Sistema Stakes at her next start, displayed her share of family talent when winning the Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 31.
That confirmed a tilt at the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, but a heavy track denied Liguria the chance to emulate her dam in the biggest race on Noble’s former home track.
“I was looking forward to heading back down to Matamata with what I considered a strong prospect for another Breeders’ Stakes, but it wasn’t to be,” Noble said.
“The track was already heavy when we decided to leave her in, but later in the morning as we were heading out the gate, I got word that the track had a further downgrade.
“I said to myself ‘this is crazy’, so I rang the stewards and pulled her out. It was the right decision, she went to the trials at Avondale last week and won really well. She’s all set, so here’s hoping for another big day.”
In the meantime Noble will line up a lesser light in his select team at the closest racecourse to his Karaka base, Pukekohe Park, on Wednesday afternoon.
Kakasisisi, a three-year-old filly by Yes Yes Yes from the Frankel mare Kakariki, lines up in the fifth race on the twilight programme as what her trainer describes as a “top three” chance.
“She went well enough for fourth in her first two starts but then got in a bit of trouble last time, but she’s been working well and I think she can get some of it,” Noble said. - LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
