HOME TRACK DOUBLE FOR MICHAEL NOLAN

By Graham Potter | Saturday, April 9, 2022

Trainer Michael Nolan scored a race to race double to round off the meeting on his home track at Toowoomba on April 9.

Both Twilight Boom and Uncommon Valour started favourite … at $2.50 and $1.80 respectively and both were ridden by Wendy Peel.

Twilight Boom came into a Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1300m having been knocking loudly at the door in his three previous starts in which he finished second twice (when only 0.20 lengths and 0.50 lengths back) and third once as he tried to line up that all important first win which had eluded him for fifteen starts.

With four scratchings coming out of the race, Twilight Boom only had four rivals left to contend with when the gates opened. While not the best away, Peel had little trouble in easing Twilight Boom through to take the lead early … and Twilight Boom easily maintained that position of strength by taking the field along at a brisk, but comfortable gallop in the first half of the race.

The leading margin he maintained to the home turn was never more than two to three lengths, but Twilight Boom looked to be in full control, a perception that turned to fact when Twilight Boom never missed a beat in the home straight, romping home as he pleased to score by a clearcut 3.30 length margin.

In the end the first win on the board from Twilight Boom came from a confident performance from both horse and rider.

More difficult tasks will await … to be sure … but a win is a win … is a win!
_____________________________________________________________________

One race later, Uncommon Valour rounded off the day’s celebrations for the Nolan stable matching the 3.30 length winning margin of Twilight Boom, who had saluted earlier, when he easily accounted for his rivals in a QTIS Two-year-Old Plate over 1200m

This was only the second race start for Uncommon Valour after his buck-jumping performance on debut which saw him take no competitive part in that race.

While he was still only away second last at the jump this rime, Uncommon Valour was suitably well behaved as he quietly settled into his stride, moving into third and then second, on the heels of the leader after the field had travelled through the first 400m.

From there, Uncommon Valour’s race panned out in a relatively simple fashion.

The Nolan runner went to the early leader Kwinern ($7.50) at the top of the straight and, although Kwinern fought on briefly, Uncommon Valour went right past that one and raced on unchallenged to score an absolutely untroubled victory.

If you draw a line through that misadventure in his first run … which you should … Uncommon Valour was essentially winning for the first time in the first race in which he had actually truly competed … which has to be a good result.

More articles