Conditions favour Nicoletta
WELLINGTON: Cambridge trainer Murray Baker is no fan of set weights and penalties racing but concedes conditions ideally suit his group 1placed mare, Nicoletta, in today’s group 2 JapanNew Zealand International Trophy (1600m) at Matamata.
The Lib Petagnaraced 4yrold carries just 53.5kg under the race conditions, her 0.5kg penalty coming through her defeat of subsequent group 1 winners Devise and Bonneval in last year’s 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
She finished third in last month’s Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa but that was a penaltyfree performance even in New Zealand’s richest weightforage contest.
‘‘She’s only got 531⁄2 kilos.
‘‘I’m against set weights and penalties races but it throws her into it,’’ Baker, who trains in partnership with Andrew Forsman, said.
Premiershipleading jockey Sam Collet pilots Nicoletta. — NZ Racing Desk