More Success for Viadana (NZ)
24 March 2014
Top-class mare Viadana (NZ) (Towkay) continued her consistent form when adding the Group 2 $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Japan New Zealand International Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday.
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Viadana (NZ) winning the Group 2 Windsor Park Stud Japan New Zealand International Trophy. |
The six-year-old mare has already won the Group 1 NRM Sprint this season to go with her Group 1 Easter Handicap win from last year and was coming off an unlucky fourth placing in the Group 1 Haunui Farm Classic at Otaki last start.
She has finished in the top four placings in all seven of her runs this campaign, with all of those races at stakes level and four of them being Group 1 races for trainer Lance Noble.
The daughter of Towkay had to carry top weight of 59kgs in the quality Group 2 field with in-form jockey Craig Grylls aboard.
Grylls found a position around mid-field on Viadana and was travelling well entering the straight. The mare was angled to the outside and produced a brilliant sprint to put her head in front in the dying stages to beat Chintz (NZ) (Savabeel) with Secrets Only (Choisir) in third.
“For a mare to carry 59kgs, get back in the field and run home was really special,” commented Noble. “That was probably the biggest thing about Saturday, it was one of the biggest weights carried to win that race and it probably cemented just how good she is.
“She has been a horse that has needed time to mature and we have looked after her, she has only had 28 starts. I think she is fully matured now and hasn’t been hurt along the way and we are reaping the benefits.”
The next target for Viadana will be the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha on 5 April, another good showing there could book her ticket to Australia for a crack at the Group 1 A$1m Queen of the Turf Stakes.
“That is the plan but it is one step at a time. The Te Aroha Breeders’ Stakes is Group 1 and is weight-for-age for fillies and mares only so it is the logical target and that was always her target. Without being smug, she needed Saturday’s race before Te Aroha so it is looking promising.
“I can’t see why she couldn’t be up to them in Australia. Our best horse is Silent Achiever and, with that win on Saturday, Viadana will probably be the second highest rated horse in New Zealand behind Silent Achiever. History says our best horses compete well in Australia so if we were ever going to have a go it would be silly not to while the horse is well and fit.
“You can never take anything for granted, you can go five minutes up the road in New Zealand and get beaten. It is never easy anywhere but all things being equal that is the plan.”
Saturday’s victory was the tenth in the career of Viadana from 28 starts with eight minor placings also next to her name. She has accumulated $560,325 in earnings for owners the Easdon No. 4 Racing Syndicate, managed by Noble’s wife Leigh.
Bred by Little Avondale Trust, Viadana is by Little Avondale Stud sire Towkay and is out of the winning Kinjite mare Yeah Nah, a half-sister to Group 2 Waikato Gold Cup winner Singing Star (Danasinga) who is the dam of recent Group 3 Lowland Stakes winner and Group 1 New Zealand Oaks runner-up Miss Selby (O’Reilly).
Lance & Leigh Noble purchased Viadana for only $25,000 from the 2009 Karaka Select Sale from Little Avondale Stud.