NOMIKAI PUTS HIS NAME ON THE SCOREBOARD

By Graham Potter | Thursday, March 28, 2024

The very lightly raced chestnut gelding Nomikai made no mistake when he proved too strong for his opposition in only his third career start to land a Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1200m at Toowoomba on March 28.

The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained son a Under the Louvre did not race as a two-year-old and only made his debut in December 2023, five months into his three-year-old season.

That resulted in an unplaced finish, but he was only 2.50 lengths off the winner that day and he was then allowed more time again, spending a further two-and-a-half months away from race action.

Nomikai returned on March 9 and showed to good enough advantage first-up to claim second place in a Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1000m.

Fitter for that run and taking the step up in distance to 1200m for this second-up start proved to be a winning formula for Nomikai who jumped as the hot favourite at $1.60 and, although he had to work and show commitment in the first half of the straight, he ultimately won like a good thing should.

Robbie Dolan, who has enjoyed his share of success with the Sears yard in recent times, was in the saddle for the first time and his first task was to negotiate a path from the wide number nine barrier draw which he did ... taking his time to get Nomikai across, but he was up to fourth and then third place by the time the field had covered 300m.

Once there, just a couple of lengths off the stable companion Vitthal ($31), who was setting the early gallop up front, Dolan kept Nomikai in a watching brief for a while before he started to urge his horse along in the approach to the home turn.

Nomikai had moved up to within a length of the lead, three wide, on straightening. He was then quickly up to second place before sweeping into the lead inside the final 150m.

The grey, Shouts All Day ($16) tried to go with Nomikai, but that proved to be an unequal battle as Nomikai kicked on strongly to stretch his advantage to 1.50 lengths at the line to secure that important first career win in style.

More articles