KISUKANO WILL RETURN TO THE SCENE OF HER BIGGEST WIN AS SHE GETS SET TO LIGHT UP THE GOLD COAST

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, September 2, 2020

The immediate future of Queensland’s star filly Kisukano has been decided. She will now line up in a Fillies And Mares contest over 1300m at the Gold Coast on September 19. HRO’s Graham Potter looks back at Kisukano’s latest triumph on Saturday and speaks to two of the main players in Kisukano's story, trainer Michael Nolan and Jockey Mark Du Plessis.

The $1.20 odds suggested that Kisukano was just about unbeatable at Eagle Farm on Saturday … or as much as that certainty can ever be claimed in the world of horseracing.

The star Michael Nolan trained filly went into the race having won five of her previous seven starts. She had eight rivals whose prices were spread out from $10 to $151 … the same way that Kisukano was expected to line her opposition.

The only concern was going to be her pre-race manners at the starting gates but, with the blindfold applied, the daughter of Bel Esprit quickly put those concerns to rest, loading before the rest of the runners and then waiting, relatively quietly, for the signal to spring into action.

“Mark (Du Plessis) wanted to get her out there and load her first,” said Nolan. “That was his opinion. He didn’t want to get off her which was fine. He said, ‘leave it up to me.’ Right through this campaign we have been listening to Mark and we listened to him again today.

“It’s obviously good for the horse that she doesn’t have to be stressed out trying to go into the barriers.”
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Du Plessis, who has been in the saddle for five out of the filly’s eight starts, pushed Kisukano out from barrier nine and after 200m she had cleared her rivals to take up the running. … or, in the words of commentator Josh Fleming, ‘Kisukano burns the Eagle Farm Turf early.’

In the sweep to the home turn Simply Fly moved up alongside and then past Kisukano with Acrobatic and Mishani Fraudster keeping a watching brief just behind the leaders. Du Plessis never reacted at all to Simply Fly’s ‘challenge’ and he railed Kisukano back into the lead as the field turned for home seemingly with the minimum of fuss.

“She was travelling very well,” said Du Plessis, “but she had worked a little bit hard to get to where I put her in the first half of the race. At one stage, knowing the horse that ran second (Du Plessis had ridden the Kelly Schweida trained runner Acrobatic to two wins in three starts) I thought that he was actually going to go past her … but, I suppose at the weights, she found a bit … and then found a bit more and she just kept giving like she normally does.

“I was only really confident going into the 100 that I was going to win the race. As I said, I know Acrobatic well and I know how much ability he has got. In their respective careers at the moment she is probably just that bit better. She won well.”
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Kisukano stopped the clock at 1-08.69 – a new track record for the Eagle farm 1200m.

In her pervious run (and win) over the same track and distance Kisukano had won in a time of 1-09.62 carrying an effective 59kg (set 62kg but with a 3kg claim for apprentice Alex Petis).

In this latest win Kisukano dropped no less than 6kg and ran almost a second faster over the trip in spite of jumping from the widest barrier.

After Kisukano’s previous run Petis had said, ““When I got to the top of the straight and she kicked I think I started smiling. She is just a lovely, lovely horse … still carrying a lot of weight. It will be really exciting when she goes to a race where she’ll get no weight and be even better!”

Better … as in setting a new track record!

While Patis was proved correct, Nolan emerged from Kisukano’s latest adventure a very relieved man.

“The blindfold worked,” said Nolan with some satisfaction. Nolan’s demeanour, happily, was vastly different from two weeks ago when, after Kisukano had put on a show while loading at the gates, Nolan had admitted then, “Having this filly does make it easier for me to get out of bed early in the morning but she also adds a bit of stress to my life. I get too nervous watching her antics at the gates.”

While one swallow doesn’t make a summer, there has to be some confidence now that the starting gate manners have been or, at least, can be overcome moving forward.
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And just where will that ‘moving forward’ take her.

“She pulled up very well,” confirmed Nolan, “and we have decided to go to a Fillies and Mares race over 1300m at the Gold Coast on their Pink Ribbon race-day on September 19. It’s prize-money with QTIS bonus so that’s where we are going to head.

“We are not going to Sydney … well, not this year. All of the Covid protocols made it difficult to go. We would like to send out own strapper and then all the quarantine and stuff. It’s just too hard.

“The prize-money here is terrific so we are more than happy to stay here and run here … and it is just great sharing the experience with this group of owners. They are breeders, friends, school-mates of mine. It couldn’t happen to a nicer group of people.

“Nick (Hahn) and Greer (Beck) are a big part of it too. They’ve looked after her from day dot. They get just as big a thrill out of her winning as the owners. It’s like a big happy family … and that’s rare in racing.

“Just as it is rare to have a filly that keeps on winning. She has been just great for everyone. Peter Reeves (owner/breeder) hasn’t been in the best of health and it gives somebody in his position a big kick along to see the filly winning … so there are a lot of spin-off stories around Kisukano.

“That’s why everybody sort of hangs in there in racing during the bad times. They know that something good could be around the corner and when a horse like Kisukano comes along it makes it all worthwhile.

“We all know she is very good,” concluded Nolan.
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As for the man who has guided Kisukano’s fortunes from the saddle in five out of her eight starts is concerned, Kisukano has plenty to look forward to.

“Her next prep is going to be pretty exciting,” said Du Plessis. “I will certainly be putting my hand up for the ride. She is not an easy filly to ride with regards to the gates. You’ve got to know her little quirks.

“Getting on her and riding here … she gives me a lot of confidence. We work pretty well. I know what she can and cannot do.

“Pretty much from the first day I rode her she gave me that feeling. I know Mick will back me up here, when I first rode her, I said just set her for The Jewel. I thought she was good enough then for that and she was only going to improve.

“At that stage I never thought we were going to go there and beat Rothfire but, when I won the Prelude on her I became very confident. I can’t say what it was, but I was very confident that she had a great chance of beating him that day. The good ones do that to you … and I’ve been lucky enough to ride a few good ones in my career.

“She is right up there with them and I’m pretty sure she has the potential to be the best one I’ve ridden.

“She has definitely furnished from her last spell. Honestly, it was like getting on a colt. I love riding here and I really enjoy riding for Mick. He is very easy to ride for and he and his owners have given me a lot of support.

“I certainly don’t want to be getting off her anytime soon.”
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**Kisukano, who is owned by Mr P L Reeves, Mr R J Reeves, Mr D P Reeves, Mr S D Kay, Mr J W Gordon, Mr P Anderson, Mr M A Lane, Mr B M Eagleton, has won six times from eight starts. Her only losses have come when beaten into second place by the excellent Rothfire (who went on to win the Group 1 J J Atkins) and when finishing unplaced on a heavy 9 track, her only start on heavy going.

**Kisukano biggest win came in The Jewel at the Gold Coast where she comprehensively turned the table on Rothfire to hand that runner his only career defeat in seven starts. Her current prize-money bank balance currently stands at $675 600. She was bred by the Reeves family who have maintained a place in the ownership.

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