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| Sumita Pawar |
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Ciaron Maher will take into account the weather conditions and the whereabouts of Giga Kick when planning the spring campaign for Bella Nipotina, a Group One sprinter. Instead of participating in the Listed Carlyon Stakes, a race that Bella Nipotina won last year, Maher decided to explore Sydney options that offered better chances of encountering wet ground.
Although Maher and David Eustace entered Generation for the Carlyon Stakes, they opted to have Mark Zahra ride the horse. Generation showcased its skills during a fast gallop at the venue last Tuesday, recording a time of 24.46 seconds for the last 400m, which was the fastest of the morning for 1000m workouts.
Bella Nipotina's Wet Track Dominance
While Bella Nipotina has performed well on dry ground, four out of her six victories, including an impressive 4¾-length triumph in the Manikato Stakes, came on wet tracks. Last season, the six-year-old mare finished third on a Good 3 track in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, falling just half a length behind Coolangatta.
Despite Bella Nipotina's strong record at Moonee Valley, with two wins and six second-place finishes in nine starts, the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes on September 9 is not a viable fallback option in Melbourne. This decision is due to the presence of Giga Kick, a multiple Group One winner and contender in The Everest, who is expected to resume in the McEwen Stakes before heading to Sydney for the Premiere Stakes.
"It's weather dependent, she's good on top of the ground but she's better (wet), when she ran in the Caviar it was pretty firm, but I think she does have an advantage when it's wet."
Bella Nipotina might capture the attention of The Everest slot-holder, particularly if Sydney experiences a wet spring. However, a significant challenge awaits her in the form of defending her Valley crown with back-to-back victories in the prestigious Gr.1 Manikato Stakes on October 28.
"She could run in anything really, but we'll plot our path and she's obviously very good here at The Valley," Maher said.
"She doesn't mind it (travel), she's won in Sydney, run well in Queensland, she's just a good horse obviously, but probably The Valley is her best form I would say."
In the betting odds for the Carlyon Stakes, Generation was given a surprising position as the third favourite, with odds of $7. This placed Generation behind the top contenders Omni Man and Acromantula.
"He's very good early in his campaigns, it's probably been his best runs," Maher said.
"He's had a nice break, he's prepped up well, and he's got good form here … last prep he just got a little bit keen in some of his races, brought him undone a fraction and he relaxed nice (Tuesday) in behind (Gringotts), he quickened up well … it was pretty nice work."