Kah Drives Nature Strip Back Into Group 1 Winner's Circle
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Sunday, February 14, 2021 | Dedicated to the Australasian bloodstock industry - subscribe for free: Click here FIRST SEASON SIRE RUNNERS - PAGE 12 YESTERDAY'S RACE RESULTS - PAGE 17 Kah drives Nature Read Tomorrow's Issue For Strip back into Group 1 The Week Ahead What's on Race meetings: Dubbo (NSW), Nowra winner’s circle (NSW), Colac (VIC), Moe (VIC), Sunshine Coast (QLD), Albany (WA) Extreme Choice colt Stay Inside emerges as genuine Barrier trials / Jump-outs: Dubbo (NSW) Golden Slipper contender for the Freedmans International meetings: Sha Tin (HK), Tokyo (JPN), Hanshin (JPN), Kokura (JPN), Southwell (UK), Scottsville (SAF) International Group races: Tokyo (JPN) - Kyodo News Hai (Tokinominoru Kinen) (Gr 3, 1800m). Hanshin (JPN) - Kyoto Kinen (Gr 2, 2200m) MELODY BELLE DEFEATED IN BID Nature Strip RACING PHOTOS FOR GROUP 1 RECORD - PAGE 8 BY JO MCKINNON AND PAUL EACOTT | @ANZ_NEWS for getting the best out of difficult horses and her ifted horsewoman Jamie Kah unique skills came to the fore as she softly guided Tagaloa Guineas-bound arrived on the world stage as a the six-year-old gelding down the Flemington after CS Hayes victory jockey yesterday when she steered straight. The 2020 Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) the sometimes troublesome After moving clear with 300 metres to run, winner Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) rediscovered GNature Strip (Nicconi) to victory in the Lightning Nature Strip had enough left in reserve to see off that sizzling form, albeit in different silks, Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Flemington. the challenge of his fast finishing stablemate when he turned in a powerful on-speed effort A highly accomplished equestrian with September Run (Exceed And Excel) by half a to win the C S Hayes Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Olympic aspirations, Kah has a fierce reputation length. Continued on page 2>> Flemington yesterday. Continued on page 5>> Follow us @anz_news | 1 | Brought to you by Kah drives Nature Strip back into Group 1 winner’s circle | 2 | Sunday, February 14, 2021 << Continued from page 1 Swats That (Shamus Award) was was in awe of the horse she had earlier described as “like riding a another length and a quarter away in third. Ferrari”. “What a horse, he’s just unbelievable. That was amazing, it really was. “In his work and trials he does everything so effortlessly. He was in a Honestly, I just let him do whatever he wanted to do. He relaxed and great mood today and he was when I trialled him. He’s getting better with dropped the bit and it set it up beautifully for him,” said Kah. age,” she said. It was the fourth Group 1 success for 25-year-old Kah who currently It was the fifth Group 1 win for Nature Strip who is Widden Stud leads the Melbourne jockey’s premiership by a staggering 20 wins. stallion Nicconi’s (Bianconi) biggest flag bearer in Australia. It was also her first major win for champion Sydney trainer Chris The 2019/2020 Australian Horse of the Year’s career record now stands Waller for whom she’d only ridden twice previously. at 15 wins from 28 starts and he’s banked more than $6 million. “To get on a horse like this for Chris Waller, I just couldn't imagine it.” Waller, who watched the race from Randwick, was thrilled to see Shortly after Nature Strip return to the Group 1 winner’s circle for the first time since dismounting, an landing the TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) last April. WHAT A HORSE, HE’S JUST emotional Kah, "It was satisfying. We've made everybody aware that he was hard to get UNBELIEVABLE. THAT WAS who rode a treble right in the spring and a few things went against him in his races," Waller said. AMAZING, IT REALLY WAS. at headquarters "A horse like him needs everything to go right. It was a well-judged HONESTLY, I JUST LET HIM DO yesterday having effort and it's good to have him back. WHATEVER HE WANTED TO DO. taken the opener on “It’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes that goes into these types of HE RELAXED AND DROPPED Quantum Mechanic horses from a lot of people. It was an exciting race to watch.” (Deep Field), as well Whilst much of the spotlight fell on Nature Strip yesterday, September THE BIT AND IT SET IT UP as partnering Zou Run’s effort signalled an exciting autumn campaign ahead. BEAUTIFULLY FOR HIM Dancer (Zoustar) to Waller confirmed last spring’s Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) - JAMIE KAH victory in the Vanity winner will return to Flemington for a tilt at the Newmarket Handicap (Gr Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m), 1, 1200m) in three weeks’ time. Continued on page 3>> FREE ENTRY FREE PASSED IN COMMISSION REAL RESULTS! CLICK HERE TO ENTER NOW MAGIC MILLIONS ONLINE SALE 1-3 MARCH Follow us @anz_news | 2 | Brought to you by Kah drives Nature Strip back into Group 1 winner’s circle | 3 | Sunday, February 14, 2021 Stay Inside enters Golden Slipper picture Whilst Nature Strip was the sole Group 1 race winner in Australia yesterday, two-year-old Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) colt Stay Inside announced himself as one for the future with a dominant performance in the Pierro Plate (1100m) at Randwick. Now unbeaten in two starts, the Richard and Michael Freedman- trained youngster had jockey James McDonald in raptures after the race and he’s now considered a major contender for next month’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1,1200m). After defeating Godolphin’s Vianello (Teofilo) by a commanding four lengths, Stay Inside joined Enthaar (Written Tycoon) and Profiteer (Capitalist) at single-figure odds for the $3.5million Rosehill contest on March 20. When pressed to compare him with the likes of next weekend’s raging Blue Diamond (Gr 1, 1200m) favourite Enthaar, McDonald said: “He’s close to the top there. I love his attitude. He takes everything in his stride and is the ultimate professional. He will be very hard to beat (in the Slipper). Colette TURFSTARS “I just want to get on and ride him again,” said McDonald. Co-trainer Michael Freedman was hoping for a dominant performance by the youngster to confirm connections have a genuine Slipper contender and he was content with what he saw. He is however Colette shines on return to set up Queen under no illusions that Stay Inside needs to raise the bar even higher Elizabeth date "To keep the dream alive he probably had to come out and, not only The James Cummings-trained Colette (Hallowed Crown) continued win today, but win well in my view because he is going to have to go to the to build the profile of her sire Hallowed Crown (Street Sense) when she next level again in two or three weeks time," Freedman said. made a stunning return to action to take out the Apollo Stakes (Gr 2, "The other nice thing is it looks like he handles a wet track so that gives 1400m). us a few options as well." Ridden by Rachel King, the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) and The Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick on March 6 is shaping Golden Eagle (1500m) winner relished yesterday's soft track conditions as the next stepping stone for Stay Inside as he heads towards the Slipper. at Randwick, beating a star studded field that included runner-up Kolding Stay Inside was a $200,000 purchase by Freedman Bros at the 2020 (Ocean Park) and 2020 Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Verry Elleegant Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is one of four winners for (Zed), who got motoring late and ran an encouraging third. Newgate’s first season sire Extreme Choice, along with the Jamie Richards- The mare had never won below 1500 metres, nor first up, but neither trained colt Palamos and city winners Abseiler and Tiger Of Malay. statistic mattered as she came home two lengths clear of her nearest pursuer, producing a performance which connections hope will set her up for a tilt at the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) back at the same track in April. Cummings was not surprised by the victory and said Colette had been working strongly at home. He believes she has the potential to emerge as one of the new stars on the block as she continues to mature. "She is the horse that is really improving from one prep to the next," he said. "She got all the way to the Oaks in one campaign and she is only first- up in her third preparation so far. "She is well and truly on her way to producing perhaps her best preparation. "She has been going so well she has well and truly got the Queen Elizabeth on her radar and when it gets on the radar, it's hard to get it off." King said she became increasingly confident in Colette's chances as Stay Inside SPORTPIX persistent rain fell at Randwick. Continued on page 4>> Follow us @anz_news | 3 | Brought to you by Colette shines on return to set up Queen Elizabeth date | 4 | Sunday, February 14, 2021 << Continued from page 3 "It was probably the best I've had a Never Talk (No Nay Never) and favourite horse travel on that track all day and when she travelled into the straight Away Game (Snitzel) with less than half like that and got to the top of the rise I knew I still had plenty of horse a length separating the front three as underneath me.