Nothing trivial about win
WAYNE Hillis is hoping Nothing Trivial’s Taupo Cup (1950m) victory might be a forerunner to further holiday weekend success.
The Matamata trainer’s versatile eight-year-old claimed major honours in the Harcourts-sponsored event on Saturday and at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day he will be represented with a pair of in-form runners in two feature events.
Watch This Space will tackle the Rich Hill Mile (1600m) while his two-yearold stablemate Bit Lippy will step out in the Barneswood Farm Eclipse Stakes (1200m).
“Watch This Space has got 59kg so he’s giving away a fair bit of weight and maybe the Thorndon Mile at set weights and penalties will be more up his alley,” Hillis said.
“He is well though and has won with 59kg before so we’ll see. Bit Lippy goes well and he’s been a bit unlucky in both of his runs.”
Jockey Sam Weatherley successfully reverted to Plan B with Nothing Trivial at Taupo, opting to drop the son of Elusive City, who won a hurdle race earlier this year, to the tail of the field.
“We were going to go forward, but a heap of them did that and good jockeys make a decision to go back and not get into a fight,” Hillis said.
Weatherley got on to the back of the favourite Quintessentially across the top and Nothing Trivial’s sustained finish earned him the 10th win of his career.
“He’s an old favourite and he should have won more, he’s had some bad luck,” Hillis said.
Nothing Trivial was making his second appearance since finishing eighth in last month’s New Zealand Cup (3200m).
“He looked like being right in it on the turn but maybe he didn’t see out the two miles,” Hillis said.
“He had a run at Te Rapa the other day and he improved with that.’’
STEPHEN Marsh is considering sending Sophie’s Choice on a road trip following her defeat of the older horses at Taupo.
The Cambridge trainer produced the Darci Brahma filly for a tenacious win in the Kinloch Fasttrack +$5K (1200m) and he is now looking at all options for the three-year-old.
“Ideally, we’d like to get a bit of black type with her so maybe a trip south,” Marsh said.
The Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m) on January 20 is a possible target.
Sophie’s Choice, who finished fourth in the Phoenix Park 2YO Classic (1200m) last season, was making her first appearance for the summer at Taupo and the fresh-up win came as no surprise.
“She had trialled up really well and I thought she would be hard to beat,” Marsh said.
Sophie’s Choice settled in second spot before rider Danielle Johnson moved outside the leader Culzean before the turn and, after a battle down the straight, they got in the deciding stride.
“She’s not very big, but she’s pretty tough,” Marsh said. “She knows where the post is and she’s a really game filly.”
Culzean gave a bold account of himself before coming up a short head second and third money was taken by High Distinction, who cornered awkwardly and ran home gamely once balanced.
The Oaks Stud will offer a yearling half-brother (Lot 1000) by Roc de Cambes to Sophie’s Choice during the Book 2 Sale at Karaka in 2018.
Those closest to Chill are hot on the three-year-old’s future black type prospects.
While far from the finished article, the daughter of Mastercraftsman has displayed enough raw ability for them to be bubbling over her future.
Chill overcame her lack of experience at Taupo on Saturday to open her account at the second time of asking when successful in the Malcolm Flowers Insurances Maiden (1400m).
“She jumped outwards on to a couple of others and got a bit further back than I wanted,” rider Michael Coleman said.
“I had to wait for a run and once I got it she was always going to win. She’s got a bit of talent this filly and she’s going to get black type.”
Chill lugged in toward the rail in the run home, but she still proved too good for No Doubt A Star.
“She’s still green and learning,” trainer Danica Guy said. “I was rapt with the way she settled though and dropped the bit.
“She’s going to be very exciting when she gets over more ground. I’ll see how she comes through this race and then look for some loftier goals.”
Chill had finished third on debut at Tauranga earlier this month and that performance prompted a gear addition.
“She hit the line well and it was a really, really good first effort, but she wasn’t travelling that well down the back. That’s why we put the blinkers on today to help her concentrate,” Guy said.
Chill is owned by her breeder Gary Harding, who also raced her relative Capella out of Guy’s stable. Her three wins included the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) before a fetlock injury forced her retirement.