It was an unfortunate accident that saw talented mare Niance miss the Autumn, but Grahame Begg believes the lightly raced five-year-old can make up for lost time over the Winter.
A winner of six from ten starts, Niance will return in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday — a race that plays to her strengths, given her previous Group 3 success over the track and distance.
Begg said the mare suffered a paddock injury that kept her away from the Autumn carnival but confirmed she is now ready to return to form.
“She had an injury in the paddock. We’ll leave it at that, but anyway, but she’s back on song,” Begg said.
“She’s had a jump out and a barrier trial, but she’s in very good form.
“She won her latest trial at Caulfield Heath on May 15, she jumped out very well and then trialled very well.”
Begg had initially considered a trip to Sydney for the Bob Charley AO Stakes, but decided to stay in Victoria to capitalise on Niance’s excellent record at Caulfield.
“We had our aspirations of possibly taking her up to Sydney to run in the Bob Charley, but we decided that it was better to stay here, particularly because her Caulfield record’s very good.
“We don’t have to travel and her fresh record’s good.”
While not the most imposing horse physically, Begg praised Niance’s natural athleticism and race sense.
“She’s not a big imposing horse, she’s just a good athlete. If you saw her in a sale you wouldn’t buy her, you wouldn’t give it two looks at her, but she’s just got a motor.”
“She’s taken some good scalps, a lot of the stakes form around the sprinting mares is around her, she beat She’s Bulletproof who ran second in the Oakleigh Plate.”
Begg confirmed Niance is fit enough to win first-up and outlined a potential path through winter features, including races like the Bletchingly Stakes.
“Absolutely she’s forward enough to win, she goes very well fresh,” Begg said.
“It gives us the opportunity, running on the 31st of May. She can have a back-off, and then possibly gear up for something like the Bletchingly or something like that, tail end of July, and then we’ll just tinker around with her.”
Begg also noted that stablemate King Zephyr is currently spelling following a below-par performance at Flemington last weekend.
“He didn’t handle the heavy eight. But he’s pulled up good, so he’s just going to have a month off and get ready for the spring. He’ll hopefully measure up in a nice race.”
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