HINGED’S CAREER TAKES A CHANGE IN DIRECTION

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, August 10, 2021

The overriding news out of the Michael Nolan in the first week of August was the confirmation that the stable’s current star performer Hinged had been sold to southern interests for an undisclosed fee.

Nolan was philosophical about the outcome, which obviously arrived with a large dose of disappointment, understanding the business of racing revolved to a large degree around finances and the fact that Hinged’s owner, Dr Kim Macasker, had received a more than attractive offer that was very difficult to knock back.

Nolan’s superb handling of Hinged has already been well documented and the five wins from seven starts with two close-up runner-up finishes which Hinged achieved under Nolan’s will always stand to the trainer’s credit.

An interesting side story here is that while the stable might have lost Hinged, it does have a full sister to Hinged … a two-year-old … in the yard, which was also bred by owner/breeder Dr Kim Macasker, continuing the long and successful relationship that the stable has had with Macasker.

TWO PROGRESSIVE PLACINGS KICK OFF THE NEW SEASON

The first week of the new season new season kicked off with a couple of placings for the Michael Nolan stable.

I’ll Tell You Now followed up his win on debut over 900m at the Gold Coast with a runner-up finish in a Colts, Geldings and Entires BM62 Handicap at Toowoomba over 1000m

The three-year-old son of Eurozone, who started at the prohibitive odds of $1.65, did not get jump cleanly and had to be chased up to improve his position by Skye Bogenhuber in the first half of the race.

He was positioned in fifth place, and was four wide, turning for home some three lengths off the leader and still appeared to not have settled fully … but he was still game enough to quicken after Bogenhuber took a few strides to get him balanced.

By this time though, the $9.50 chance Loveson, who had raced behind I’ll Tell You Know in midfield on the fence mid-race, but who saved ground by cutting the corner, had hit the front and, try as he might, the extra energy used at the start and the wide run both counted against I’ll Tell You Now who ultimately had to be content with second place.

The very lightly raced Hail To The Chief likewise had his second career start in the first week of August which produced a third place finish in a Maiden over 1300m at Toowoomba. On August 7.

That result came on the back of an unplaced debut run over 860m at Gatton on July 27.