KISUKANO CONTINUES TO CAMPAIGN AT A HIGH LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE. FINISHES SECOND IN THE NUDGEE STAKES

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 1, 2022

Kisukano might be winless since May 2021, but the high-profile Michael Nolan trained runner remains an absolute stable star who continues to campaign at a high level of performance.

Seven wins and eight minor placings from twenty-one starts … with a cool $898 500 banked in prize-money … tell the story of a her successful career to date … and Kisukano is still only a four-year-old!

Since resuming on November 2 following a five month break, Kisukano finished third in a Quality Handicap, third in the Eureka Stud Classic (behind Miami Fleiss) and was then unplaced but only 2.60 lengths back in the Listed Just Now (behind East Asia).

In her latest run Kisukano finished second behind Salateen in the $200 000 Listed Nudgee Stakes over 1200m on January 1, 2022, going down by only a 0.30 length margin.

Kisukano ($10) was not the cleanest away at the jump. but she responded well when quickly pushed up into midfield by her regular pilot Larry Cassidy.

The daughter of Bel Esprit still had some eight horses in front of her as the field started to take the sweep to the home turn.

Initially Cassidy did look like he might follow Salateen ($21) through, the Gollan trained runner was starting a forward move out wider on the track but, on straightening, Salateen stayed widest of all while Kisukano, with Cassidy facing a wall of runners in front of him, switched back inside, and then had to angle inside again to find a path through the traffic.

As ever, Kisukano was game and she never missed a beat in taking up the challenge, to the point that, coming through the 200m, she was in a line of horses in close company disputing the lead … and running on as well as any of those alongside her after accelerating beautifully between the 400m and the 200m marks.

Kisukano then edged past the tiring Vulpine ($16) and Centrefire ($51) but, by the time she got up alongside Miami Fleiss, who was also weakening, Salateen’s clear run down the outside and her own strong acceleration saw her hit the front with telling momentum … an effort which turned into a winning performance as she held Kisukano back in second spot.

All in all, another great effort by Kisukano who can always be counted on to give her best.

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