FOLLOW MICHAEL NOLAN RACING
By Graham Potter | Saturday, April 6, 2024
FOLLOW MICHAEL NOLAN RACING:
Exotique Miss scored the biggest win of her career to date when she landed the $125 000 Three-Year-Old Quality Handicap over 1200m at Eagle Farm on April 6.
In doing so the daughter of Under The Louvre underlined the fact in no uncertain terms that she is a filly on the move as she made it back-to-back wins with this being her second successive win in town following her success back on January 3.
Robbie Dolan was in the saddle this time with Exotique Miss relatively easy to back at $4.50 on the back of some strong support for the Lee Freedman trained Flag Hall who topped the boards at $2.40.
The Michael Nolan trained filly raced in sixth and then fifth place early, positioned three wide with Dolan intent on holding his position to stay just within a couple of lengths of the lead.
That put Exotique Miss in prime position to strike when the field straightened. She was now up third place. Halfway up the home straight there was a line of three in front with a number of other runners close enough to threaten to join in the action, but then Dolan put his foot on the accelerator. Read more ...
EXOTIQUE MISS MAKES A STATEMENT (APRIL 6, 2024)
_______________________________________________________________________
To have a two-year-old win on debut reflects positively on the expertise of the trainer and, as with any debut winner, the satisfaction level for connections is pretty high.
Enter Astin Lane, a two-year-old bay filly trained by Michael Nolan, who faced the starter for the first time at Ipswich on April 1 in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Plate over 800m.
The daughter of Vancouver was involved in a bit of a dogfight for favouritism on the betting boards, ultimately landing that position at a starting price of $2.35 ahead of Toro Strike ($2.60) but, in the race itself, Astin Lane would roundly trounce Toro Strike to the tune of 5.40 lengths as her market rival could do no better than fill third place.
Separating the two main fancies in the finish was Paleface Ringo, a $101 rank outsider, who claimed second place, 0.60 lengths behind Astin Lane, who always had the race within her keeping.
There is simple no room for error in this 800m dash and Cejay Graham signalled her clear intent to dictate the course of events aboard Astin Lane from the outset.
The wide barrier number nine barrier draw could have been a sticking point if Astin Lane had hesitated, but she was the picture of professionalism as she jumped well for Graham, pushed forward early with meaning with a strong early effort which was good enough to see her claim the lead by the time the field had travelled 200m. Read more ...
ASTIN LANE'S PROMISING DEBUT WIN (APRIL 1, 2024)
______________________________________________________________________
The Michael Nolan stable scored a notable double at its home track at Toowoomba on March 28 when the promising Upstart Legend and Spill The Tears took the honours in a Class 3 Handicap over 1300m and a BM70 Handicap over 1100m respectively.
Upstart Legend was resuming after a four month break from racing, but the chestnut filly had solid enough form behind her to see her installed as the $2.20 race favourite.
The three-year-old daughter of Worthy Cause did have a market rival though in the form of the $2.90 second favourite Swiss Babe, who was also first-up, and the betting market had got it right as these two runners did indeed fight out the finish.
Not only did they contest the finish, but Upstart Legend and Swiss Babe essentially had the race to themselves from the start where they landed alongside each other in the lead.
Upstart Legend initially held a narrow lead briefly on the outside of Swiss Babe, but Damien Thornton, riding Upstart Legend, then allowed Swiss Babe to slip through and take up the running on the rail, happy to position Upstart Legend just a half a length back to the outside of Swiss Babe as they took the field to the home turn. Read more ...
HOME TRACK DOUBLE FOR TRAINER MICHAEL NOLAN (MARCH 28, 2024)
_______________________________________________________________________
Three winners in four days ... another set of results which continued the great start to 2024 for the Michael Nolan stable who have now saddled ten winners in the first seven weeks of the year ... coming from thirty-two starters at a significant, positive strike-rate of 31.25 percent.
On top of that, stable runners have also filled four second places, six third places, and four fourth places ... meaning that no less than twenty-four of the thirty-two Nolan trained runners (that’s seventy-five percent) finished with their numbers in the frame during this period of time.
Motell kicked off the three winners in four days sequence on February 14 (see separate story) and New Joy (a winner on February 15) and Master Gee (on February 17) fired up quickly after that to keep the scoreboard rolling along very nicely.
New Joy, a lightly raced, three-year-old son of Heroic Valour had two runs before he first saluted in his third career start in a Maiden over 1300m at Toowoomba on January 1 ... and he kept the sequence of two runs followed by a win going here with this victory in a QTIS Three-Year-Old BM58 Handicap over 1350m in his sixth career start. Read more ...
NOLAN LANDS HIS TENTH WINNER FOR THE YEAR AT A WINNING STRIKE-RATE OF 31.25 PERCENT (FEBRUARY 17, 2024)
_______________________________________________________________________
The rejuvenated seven-year-old Motell was a Michael Nolan stable winner on February 14 taking out a BM65 Handicap over 2030m at Doomben.
The son of Uncle Mo came into the Nolan yard as a five-time winner from thirty-seven starts ... but his form seemed to have plateaued as he had only finished better than fourth on one occasion in his last thirteen starts before switching stables.
There was no immediate form turnaround when Motell resumed after a four month break from race action and raced for the first time for the Nolan yard, but four runs in quick succession (from November 11, 2023 to December 29, 2023) helped Motell build race winning fitness, to the degree that he was able to land a runaway win in the BM58 Handicap over 1666m at Ipswich on January 6, 2024 as the $2.10 favourite under Jai Williams. Read more ...
REJUVENATED MOTELL ON A ROLL (FEBRUARY 14, 2024)
_______________________________________________________________________
The four-year-old gelding Northern Express had returned with a vengeance after a five-month spell on the sidelines when claiming a first-up win at the Sunshine Coast on January 27 ... and he franked that new-found firepower by making it back-to-back wins in a BM85 Handicap over 1200m at Doomben on February 10.
When he won at the Sunshine Coast in an Open Handicap over 1000m, Northern Express jumped at a starting price of $18 ... but, with that win under his belt, there was no favours shown on the betting boards this time as the son of Better Than Ready started at the race favourite at $3.40.
Down in class here ... but up in both distance (from 1000m to 1200m) and weight (from 53kg to 58kg) ... this was no ‘gimme’ for the Nolan trained runner, who was again ridden by Taylor Marshall who had handled him so well in the previous win.
Marshall used the number one barrier to good effect, landing in the leading line, holding the rail and then settling into a comfortable rhythm in third place as the $5.50 chance Enterprise Pom sped away at the head of affairs trying to make every post a winning one.,i> Read more ...
NORTHERN EXPRESS DOES IT AGAIN (FEBRUARY 10, 2024)
________________________________________________________________________
You couldn’t say Uncommon Valour hadn’t been warming up for a win.
The Michael Nolan trained son of Heroic Valour came into this race ... a BM72 Handicap over 2118m at Eagle Farm on February 3 ... off the back of a runner finish when beaten by the narrowest of margins over 2200m at Ipswich and a third place finish at Doomben over 2050m.
The fact that he was knocking at the door was recognised by the prices displayed on the betting boards here with Uncommon Valour sent out on the third line of betting at $4.40.
Ryan Maloney had Uncommon Valour racing in-between runners, just worse than midfield in seventh place in the early part, a little over four lengths off the lead and little changed as the $61 bolter Sea Treasures took the field down the back straight at an ordinary tempo.
Maloney still bided his time, holding his nerve all the way to the approach to the home turn, at which stage he elected to ask Uncommon Valour to go forward, bringing the Nolan trained runner five wide on the turn as he angled the four-year-old outwards into clear galloping room. Read more ...
UNCOMMON VALOUR TOUGHS IT OUT TO CLAIM VICTORY (FEBRUARY 3. 2024)
_______________________________________________________________________
If ever there was a value trainer to follow in the first month of the new year it was Michael Nolan.
When Northen Express became the fifth stable winner for the month of January by taking out an Open Handicap over 1000m at the Sunshine Coast on January 27, the son of Better Than Ready became the third horse of Nolan’s to salute at double figure odds of those five winners.
It had started off with New Joy’s win on January 1 ... at $61. Granite Prince returned $13 on January 17 and now it was Northern Express’s turn to make light of an $18 betting label in what was a first-up run following a five month break from race action.
The number ten barrier draw was never going to do Northern Express any favours, but Taylor Marshall negotiated that disadvantage well, asking Northern Express to go forward out wide at a measured gallop until he found place to slip in behind the two leaders and settle in a perfect third position, a little over two lengths off the speed. Read more ...
NORTHERN EXPRESS FLASHES HOME (JANUARY 27, 2024)
________________________________________________________________________
The Michael Nolan stable enjoyed another runaway winner when Granite Prince took a BM65 Handicap over 1350m at Doomben on January 17.
It was the third stable winner in a row where there was absolutely no stress in the run home. In fact, just as it was with Exotique Miss’s ten length romp and Motell’s win by over four lengths, the connections of Granite Prince could have started making their way to the payout queue before their winner crossed the line.
Adding spice to the win was the fact that the four-year-old son of Rothesay started at double-figure odds of $13.
Those odds were a bit difficult to fathom.
True, Granite Prince had turned in two ordinary runs prior to this assignment, but the first of those results came at the end of a preparation ... his two runs prior to that hiccup returned two wins in performances which were more in keeping with Granite Prince’s true ability.
And the second of those ordinary results came when Granite Prince resumed when needing the run and racing over a distance (1100m) well short of his best. Read more ...
GRANITE PRINCE'S ROCK HARD PERFORMANCE (JANUARY 17, 2024)
_______________________________________________________________________
He might have arrived at the track at Ipswich on January 6 for a BM58 Handicap over 1666 assignment as a forty-start veteran, but the seven-year-old Motell showed he still had plenty to give when took the race honours by a clearcut 4.30 length margin to claim the sixth win of his career.
The son of Uncle Mo was only having his fifth start for the Michael Nolan stable since transferring to the Toowoomba based stable in late 2023.
In two of his previous four starts Motell had finished less than two lengths behind the winner. While the jury might still have been out on a verdict on his overall form (Motell had not won for fifteen months since October 2022) those setting the betting board prices clearly expected an improvement from Motell, who was marked up as the race favourite ... with his only market rival being the Rex Lipp trained Topa at $2.50.
These two runners were the only horses quoted under $10. Read more ...
MOTELL - THE VETERAN BOUNCES BACK (JANUARY 6, 2024)
_______________________________________________________________________
The three-year-old filly, Exotique Miss claimed her second career win in her seventh start when she ran rampant in a BM65 Handicap over 1500m at Eagle Farm on January 3 ... thrashing her five rivals by a winning margin which was officially recorded as 10.05 lengths.
The three kilogram claim of apprentice Tahlia Fenlon would have played some part in that result, but seeing Exotique Miss (the $1.55 favourite) stretching the field out at the line in such a rare manner ... the second horse was 10.05 lengths back and the rest trailed in at 10.44 lengths, 11.59 lengths, 12.58 lengths and 23.77 lengths ... well, a win just doesn’t come more comprehensive than that!
Just four starts earlier the Michael Nolan trained daughter of the 2016 Stradbroke winner Under The Louvre had shed her Maiden ticket over 1100m at Toowoomba and, in her two starts leading into this run she had finished second and third, both at Eagle Farm over 1400m and 1600m.
With this 1500m trip obviously sitting right in the middle of those two distances, you would have thought going into the race that trip might have been ideal for Exotique Miss ... but, even at the short price, what happened next nobody saw coming. Read more ...
EXOTIQUE MISS DEMOLISHES HER RIVALS (JANUARY 3, 2024)
________________________________________________________________________
New years’ day 2024 – Toowoomba Turf Club – the day of the second running of The King Of The Mountain.
That big race would the way of the $1.80 favourite Rothfire, but the Michael Nolan trained New Joy made a statement of her own on the undercard in a Maiden Handicap over 1300m, thumbing her nose at those who dismissed her chance and put her aside as unwanted in the betting at $61 (ok, she did shorten from $71 to $61, but few were taking her seriously).
As it turned out, they were too quick to judge.
The chestnut had only had two runs going into this race ... both unplaced, but with the difference being that she finished nearly ten lengths back on debut and improved that statistic to finishing just three lengths behind the winner in her second start, which suggested she was building both race fitness as well as obvious race experience as she settled into her career. Read more ...
NEW JOY STRIKES AT $61 (JANUARY 1, 2024)
______________________________________________________________________
FROM THE ARCHIVES:
FOLLOW MICHAEL NOLAN RACING
_______________________________________________________________________
More articles
|