MISSION OF A LIFETIME
A mutual obsession may finally be fulfilled, writes GILBERT GARDINER
DANIEL Andrews has a role to play in the meticulous – barring the latest and anxious 48-hour hiccup – Melbourne Cup preparation for international star Spanish Mission.
Lockdown after lockdown thwarted Tom Noonan, son of Mornington horseman Tony, the chance to relocate to Queensland and pursue a career in acting.
Noonan almost got out after “Lockdown Five” but Victorians were shut down again in early August.
Days earlier, family friend and Spanish Mission’s English trainer Andrew Balding’s name popped up on Tony’s phone.
The call was about “this horse” that could be the one they had been looking for.
Noonan met Balding about 20 years ago, on a fact-finding mission to England on behalf of a big client wanting to build a European-style training facility in Melbourne, and they have been tight since.
The mateship is forged on an obsession to win the Melbourne Cup.
They have bought and raced horses together before, in England and Australia, and saddled up a Cup runner in Buccellati (20th, 2010).
“This horse” was Spanish Mission, days before the five-year-old, American-owned rising star stayer faced Stradivarius in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York.
A breath separated the champion and the contender, with third some eight lengths adrift.
Noonan would reciprocate, calling Balding when the dust settled.
“I can remember ringing him the next day saying, ‘Gee mate, that horse looks just the right horse for the job’,” Noonan said.
“He’s really focused on this race with this horse … so far everything has worked really well.
“You wouldn’t meet another ‘Pom’ who would be as excited about winning this race.
“I know if you asked him, this would be the race he would love to win more than any other race.
“It didn’t surprise me that he continued to keep trying to find the ‘right horse’ and any rate this horse came about and he rang me.” Covid-19 complicated things.
The right horse had come at the wrong time for Balding, who would want nothing more than to be in the mounting yard at Flemington on Tuesday.
Enter the Noonans.
With a busy stable in Mornington on the go and “babysitting” duties for a Victoria Derby runner to boot, Noonan was unable to commit to being the full-time nanny for
Spanish Mission.
Son Tom, having already scaled back his Tony Noonan Racing foreman duties to move to Queensland, had all the time in the world, a month into lockdown six.
“They have been such good friends for a long time, I would like to think this is maybe their time together, Dad and Andrew,” Tom said. “I know Dad was more than happy to put his hand up and help him.
“Dad and Andrew and Anna Lisa (Balding’s wife) and Ian (Balding’s father), they deserve to win a Melbourne Cup.
“I would give anything for them to be here because it would mean a lot to them and it would mean a lot to us to be involved and to have them here as family friends.
“I’m sure it’s going to be an emotional day and nerve-racking day, no matter what.”
Tom has embraced the expected pressure of preparing the Melbourne Cup second favourite.
The pressure increased last Friday due to a minor setback.
“The pressure was always going to be there,” Noonan said.
“I’m a first-born son, the pressure of wanting to do Dad proud and wanting to do the job right as well, wanting to do Andrew and Park House stables right.
“It’s not often you get an opportunity to not only have a horse in the Cup, but get a very good horse in the Cup.”
Noonan intends to get to Queensland eventually and pursue the acting but right now nothing rivals his current role.
“I’m lucky in the sense I’ve had a lot of experience being in this sort of pressure,” Noonan said.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve helped my father prepare a really good horse in the spring carnival.
“This isn’t the first time him
(Tony) and Andrew have prepared a horse for the Melbourne Cup.
“All those experiences have led to this point and maybe there’s a little bit of serendipity in it all.
“I’ll be nervous on the day and hopefully, with a bit of luck, we can get the job done.
“It might be finally the gig I’ve always been meant to play.”
The hiccup – Spanish Mission’s mild skin inflammation – is now well behind the Balding-Noonan team.
In the affable Australian style, Tony found humour in the situation – after the ordeal of course.
“If I knew it was going to be this tough I wouldn‘t have put my hand up for the job,” Noonan said, with tongue firmly in cheek.
“It‘s amazing. We kept saying to each other (Tony and Tom) this is too good to be true that we could just continue on (faultless preparation). “We got our whack.
“I look forward to Tuesday and I look forward to Tuesday night even more so.”
You wouldn’t meet another ‘Pom’ who would be as excited (as Andrew Balding) about winning this race
TRAINER TONY NOONAN