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Source: racenet.com.au
Nobler could be on his way to a spring Group 1 target after the gelding made it three wins on the bounce at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The Chris Waller-trained import survived a protest to give the stable apprentice Siena Grima her first win of the day in the Ranvet Benchmark 78 Handicap (2000m).
“I’m hoping he could win Saturday and suggest he could be a Metrop horse if we backed off him,” Waller told News Corp earlier this week.
Stewards were quick to dismiss the objection lodged by the runner-up King Pedro’s rider Anna Roper.
Roper protested for interference her mount suffered passing the 200m when King Pedro was held up going for a run between the swooping Nobler and Skycatcher back to the inside.
“She went where angels fear to treat,” Waller’s stable representative, and Hall of Fame jockey Darren Beadman told the inquiry.
Stewards ruled King Pedro had never fully established a run when he suffered the interference before they dismissed the objection.
Nobler ($2.90) defeated the Tom Charlton-trained King Pedro ($4.40) by a nose with 1½ lengths back to Perfect Play ($7.50) from the Annabel and Rob Archibald team.
“He was super, really good,” Grima said.
“It was a slowly run first half of the race and he takes forever to get him going.
“We were on the rail and I was minding my own business and a few in advance of us wanted to get off the fence, so we were able to pinch a couple of places closer to the speed.
“Coming to the 600 (metres) I was able to ease him out into the three wide line and got onto the back of Skycatcher who gave us a tag into the race and then he did the rest.
“He’s a lovely horse and I think the best is still to come.”
Beadman, who mentors Grima, was high in his praise for his latest protegee for the patience she exhibited aboard Nobler which he said was the main factor that enabled the horse to hold on and record his fourth career win.
“The first half of the race she just let the horse get into a nice rhythm and enjoy the gallop,” he said.
“She had a choice coming to the 600 (metres) stay on the back of the stablemate Belle Detelle and ride for luck or ease out into clear spaces.
“She chose to come out and that proved the winning move.
“She didn’t want to get there too early and she cuddled him for as long as it was possible showing patience beyond their years.
“It’s all about timing and she got the timing right.
“I told her don’t make the furlong the winning post and she nailed it.”
Rising star Siena Grima continued her Sydney apprentice premiership late charge when Surf’s Up chalked up a comfortable home track win at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Just forty minutes after surviving a protest to salute on Nobler, Grima combined with her boss Chris Walleragain to take out the Petaluma Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m).
It was Grima’s 22nd metropolitan winner for the campaign where she is in hot pursuit of reigning Sydney champion apprentice Braith Nock (29 wins) with less than two months left in the campaign.
Grima earned the plaudits of Waller’s stable representative and former champion jockey Darren Beadman following the win.
She was able to land in the one-one spot and produced Surf’s Up near the top of the straight before racing clear late.
“It was a pretty cut and dry win,” Beadman said.
“She banged her out nice and put her in the race, made a couple of horses work around her and switched her off nicely mid-race
“Her run had a lot of merit last time from a wide draw and she really savaged the line but she had the perfect ride today and Siena rode her with a lot of confidence.
“It was great to see the cerise colours of the Ingham family saluted again.”
Surf’s Up ($3.10) had put the writing on the wall at her previous start when surging home from a wide draw to finish among the placings.
The daughter of Flying Artie backed up the display to get the better of the Kris Lees-trained Damien ($17) by 1½ lengths while the Waller-trained Tarzing ($4.20) worked home well for third.
“From a better gate today, with a bit of weight relief, I was able to put her in a lovely spot,” Grima said.
“I was OK to sit outside the lead but when the speed went on, I just kept her on the bridle and kept her where she was happy.”