TREGEA ON SONG
Niccanova gives trainer back-to-back wins in feature race
Niccanova showed the locals that they breed them tough over the range, with a dogged effort to claim victory at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The Steve Tregea-trained galloper fought on hard to win the $200k Listed Magic Millions Bernborough Handicap (1600m).
Drawing wide in barrier 12, jockey James Orman made the decision to go forward on Niccanova ($9) after failing to find cover throughout the early stages of the race, in a move that proved a decisive one.
Despite being almost headed by race favourite Looks Like Elvis ($4.40) in the straight, the six-year-old responded, to score by a head, with Cool Chap ($15) rounding out the placings.
The win gives Niccanova his second Listed success throughout December, after claiming the Brisbane Handicap, and fourth blacktype win of his career.
Tregea said the gelding gave him a welcome shock with how he was able to fend off the challenge of the favourite. “He showed a lot of fight,” Tregea said.
“He wasn’t meant to lead, but he was going to be fourwide so Jimmy went forward and led, which worked out good in the end.
“It was a snap decision, because he has never led before in his life, so it was a bit of a surprise.
“They don’t normally win with that weight (59kg), especially after he raced a bit keen early on. I was surprised to see him fight on, even halfway up the straight I thought he would run second.”
Tregea said he will now enjoy a little break before being targeted for the Sunshine Coast.
“He’s not a Magic Millions horse so we won’t go there,” he said.
“We’ll look to Caloundra now. He ran second in the Glasshouse on a bog track earlier this year.
“He’ll go for a run in that or we’ll give him a spell for the winter. He’s got to carry a bit of weight now.”
Orman made the call seven days earlier that Nic
canova would “just win” the race, and his assessment proved spot on, albeit in different circumstances to what he imagined.
After Niccanova hit the line to run fourth to Isaurian in last week’s Falvelon, Orman was bubbling with confidence about his prospects of winning the Bernborough.
That wasn’t the case early on in the race though, as he was caught wide and was forced into the uncharacteristic role of pacemaker.
“That wasn’t the plan. I thought he would be mid to back,” Orman said.
“I made the mistake – well it wasn’t in the end – but to give him a dig and be midfield, but there didn’t look to be any speed on paper and I just ended up leading.
“I was a bit worried in the run, he wanted to get running a little bit with me, but he was the class horse in the race.
“At the top of the straight I was worried how much horse I had, but to his credit, he really found.”