Breeders’ Stakes Glory for Consistent Big-Race Performer Nicoletta (NZ)

$90,000 Select Sale graduate Nicoletta (NZ) (Savabeel) added a deserved Group 1 victory to a long line of big-race placings when she led all the way in Saturday’s $200,000 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha.

Trained in Cambridge by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, Nicoletta formed an exciting rivalry as a three-year-old with her stablemate and fellow Karaka graduate Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi). She beat that runner in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), then finished just behind her in the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m), Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) and Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).

Since then she has won the Group 3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), along with further placings in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and last year’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, plus the Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and Tauranga Stakes (1600m).

“She’s twice Group 1 placed and really deserved a Group 1 win, I’m really glad she’s got it today,” Forsman said. “She doesn’t have to do a lot more now.

“She hasn’t had much go right all prep, but she hasn’t been going poorly. She looked outstanding today and Jake (Bayliss) timed his ride to perfection.

“She’s always thereabouts and is definitely good enough to beat these sorts of horses if a race is run to suit her. She got that today.”

Bayliss went to work early from Nicoletta’s wide gate, moving across the front of the field and taking a clear lead after 200 metres.

She threw down the gauntlet to her rivals with a strong kick at the top of the straight, and the fast-finishing Supera (NZ) (Savabeel), Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) and Volpe Veloce (NZ) (Foxwedge) were unable to reel her in. Nicoletta kept fighting all the way to the line and won by a long head.

“There were some quality horses in this field, and when you go out to the front like that you sometimes set it up for the backmarkers,” Bayliss said. “But she stuck to her guns. What a brave run. It’s very special.”

Nicoletta was bred and sold by Goodwood Stud, and she is raced by Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock Ltd. She has now had 30 starts for five wins, eight placings and $384,350 – more than four times her purchase price.

Third-placed Luvaluva was bought for $55,000 at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale, and she has now earned more than 11 times that amount with more than A$635,000 in stakes.