Nieta hits the fork in the road

Clinton Payne - Wednesday August 30

Randwick trainer John Thompson is renowned for his patient approach to training his horses and Saturday marks an important date for the future career of his exciting sprinter Nieta.

Nieta winning over 1000m at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart

The daughter of Nicconi has won six of her 12 starts but to date Thompson has resisted plenty of chances to raise the bar for the five-year-old, something he will do in Saturday's Group III Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick.

After two runs in her last campaign Thompson pulled stumps when Nieta would have been at the peak of her powers with a view to asking more of the speed machine in the spring.

"The races in the winter were 1200m races and I just didn't want to go there at that stage of her career," Thompson said.

"I wanted to try to keep her winning over 1000, 1100m because she's very strong at those distances. That's why I put her out.

"She's come back in really good order and it's time to let her rip. It's time to raise the bar again now.

"Saturday's performance will play a big role in where she goes for the rest of the prep.

"It will decide if we continue on in mixed races or head to Melbourne and contest the mares' races."

Nieta has won four of her five 1000m starts and is undefeated over the short course at Randwick where she returns off two typically impressive trial performances by the mare.

"She's ready to go," Thompson said. "She's come through her trials great and she looks good.

"She worked over half-a-mile on Tuesday. She worked well as she always does.

"She's the sort of mare that if you let her rip she'd run any time you want.

"She's a mare that races well fresh and the 1000m suits her.

"It's a good race, horses like Redzel, Spieth and Felines are a different class to the horses she's raced in the past so it will be a good test for her."

Brenton Avdulla jumps aboard Nieta for the first time on Saturday where she will carry 54kg in a field of six with The Monstar and Super Too the other runners.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.