Nieta favoured to continue impressive career in Starlight Stakes
LIGHTLY raced four-year-old Nieta will be striving for her first victory at Stakes level this Saturday when she contests the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.
Trained by John Thompson at Randwick, the chestnut mare has been ultra-impressive in her two starts since resuming from a short spell at the end of October, winning on both occasions.
The most recent run was at Rosehill on November 12 where she recorded an easy 2.8 length triumph over John O’Shea’s Infra Dig.
Her career record now stands at five wins and a third from nine starts, with Thompson confident he has found the right way of training the daughter of Nicconi and Brookton Flash.
Nieta starts as the $3.30 favourite for the Starlight Stakes at Crownbet.com.au.
“We have found the key to her now which is keeping her fresh by spacing her runs out and restricting her to the shorter distances,” Thompson told HorseBetting.com.au.
“Her last win was probably her best win. She had been running well on soft tracks, but that was her first run on a dry track and she was even more impressive – it was pleasing to see.
“Between runs she has had a week off on a farm on a water walker and then she had two weeks of work leading into the run.”
Despite her pleasing form, Thompson is under no illusion that Saturday’s race will be any easier to win.
“She had that lot well covered (at her last start), but she is probably stepping up two grades heading into this race.
“It is a good, solid field with a lot of Listed Class horses in it and they will be hard to beat.
“On top of that she has drawn a wide gate which makes it a little bit harder, but that being said she has no weight on her back and she is going very well.
“She seems in good shape, her work on Tuesday was very good so she just needs to make the step up to Stakes level now.”
Nieta has transformed into quite a bargain under the tutelage of Thompson, having already won more than eight times the $20,000 which her part owner Greg De Vries paid for her as a yearling.
De Vries has a knack for finding the bargain buys, having been the principal owner of Sincero who was purchased as an $8,000 yearling and ended his career as a dual group winner with $1.7 million in the bank.
“She has turned into a bargain. If she gets a bit of black type on Saturday she will be worth a lot of money as a broodmare, but I think she has got a lot of wins left in her.
“If she keeps running like she has been at her past couple of runs then she has got a bright future.”
The Listed Starlight Stakes is race six at Rosehill this Saturday and is scheduled to jump at 3:40pm.
Listed Starlight Stakes – market
Shiraz $9
That’s A Good Idea $20
Didntcostalot $31
Husson Eagle $12
Kuro $8.50
Bachman $8
Brook Road $31
Inz’n’out $20
Supreme Effort $9.50
Mr Manhattan $8.50
Whiskey Allround $61
Princefamous $11
Nieta $3.30 @ Crownbet.com.au