Brilliant Comeback by Not An Option

There have been plenty of ups and downs throughout the career of classy Karaka graduate Not An Option (Not A Single Doubt), but Saturday’s A$200,000 Listed Neds Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington suggested that the very best could be yet to come. 

Previously a Group Two winner in New Zealand and a multiple Group Three placegetter in Australia, the super-talented four-year-old has now had 14 starts for four wins, three placings and A$280,421 in stakes. He was bought for $240,000 by Pike Racing from Curraghmore’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2019.

Not An Option began his career in the Cambridge stable of Tony Pike, who saddled him for superb victories in his first two starts as a two-year-old including the Group Two Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. He also placed in the Group Two Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie and Group Three Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick, but since then he had picked up just one win and one placing from eight starts for three different trainers.

Gelded after a disappointing ninth in his only appearance in the spring, Not An Option produced a brilliant performance first-up on Saturday.

Ridden by Patrick Moloney for trans-Tasman trainer Mike Moroney, Not An Option settled in mid-pack before swooping into contention at the top of the Mornington straight.

He took the race by the scruff of the neck with a powerful sprint early in the run home, and he kept going strongly all the way to the line to score a one-length win over the strong-finishing Superium (Verrazano).

“He’s had the ultimate gear change, I suppose,” Moloney said. “He’d only had one run for Mike prior to today and I rode him. He was still a colt that day and he went around like a lad. He had a nice run, but didn’t want to let down for me.

“The owners were good enough to bite the bullet and geld him, and he’s come back a much more rounded animal.

“He gave me a lovely ride throughout and relaxed. I presented him down the Racecourse Road side, and he was up to the task. I think he’s going to be a horse that only improves when he gets out to 1400 metres and a mile. Today he was quite brilliant, and he had trialled up like that leading into today.

“He’s a quality animal, and it’s good to see him get the job done first-up. It looks like he’s in for a nice campaign.”

Racing in the colours of Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Not An Option is out of Chintz (NZ) (Savabeel), whose six wins included the Group Two Rich Hill Mile (1600m), backed up by placings in the Group One Easter Handicap (1600m) and New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). Chintz is a half-sister to the Group One-winning staying mare Chenille (NZ) (Pentire).