Photo: George Sal (Racing Photos)
Exciting New Zealand-bred mare Niance (Swiss Ace) has bounced back from a serious injury and picked up right where she left off last spring, collecting her third consecutive black-type win in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
The five-year-old Swiss Ace mare has now had 11 starts for seven wins, a placing, and A$449,467 in prize-money. She announced her arrival on the big stage in Melbourne last spring with victories in the Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) in October and Gr.3 How Now Stakes (1200m) in November – both at Caulfield.
However, she later cracked her skull in a paddock accident and underwent surgery to remove bone fragments.
Nursed back to health by Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg and his staff, Niance made a welcome return to racing on Saturday after 196 days on the sidelines. The Bel Esprit proved to be a triumphant comeback and improved her Caulfield record to three starts for three stakes wins.
“Look, she’s a gun,” Begg said. “She never knows how to run a bad race.
“She’s come back from a significant injury, where she cracked her skull and had to have surgery to remove some bone fragments. There’s a lot of people to thank for getting her through that, from the vets to the staff at home. We just took care of her, and it’s amazing to see her bounce back from that.
“She hasn’t missed a beat since we got her back into full training. She gave us every indication that she’d prepared well for this, which looked like an ideal first-up race. Daniel Moor gave her a great ride.
“I’m sure there’s better things in store for her. There’s a possibility she may go to Queensland for the Healy Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m, June 28), but that might be a bit iffy with the weather in Queensland at the moment. The Heath (Gr.3, 1100m) here at Caulfield in August could be another option, and then go from there.”
Niance was sent out as a $2.40 favourite on Saturday and never really provided a moment’s doubt. She travelled sweetly in fifth, out wide but with cover.
Moor still had her under a hold as she rounded the turn breathing down the necks of the leaders, and she pounced at the 300m mark.
Niance dashed to the lead and quickly put the result beyond doubt, going on to win by three-quarters of a length from Cleo Cat and Aviatress.
“She’s beautiful,” Moor said. “She’s not a huge horse, but has a great length of stride. Grahame and I weren’t worried about the prospect of being out wide with her today, it was just a matter of keeping her balanced and in her rhythm.
“Then I was just waiting to press the button. We know how good she is, but being first-up after a long break, I didn’t want to be hitting the front 400m from home. Within a couple of strides, we went from two lengths off them to right alongside them. I just wanted her to harness that the right way and then get her to let rip at the right time.”
Niance began her career in the care of Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, for whom she was a winner and a placegetter from four starts in New Zealand before Phill Cataldo negotiated a private sale for clients Ace Bloodstock.
Begg took his time with the mare when she first crossed the Tasman, with 12 months between her final run in New Zealand and her Australian debut victory at Pakenham in February this year.
Niance was bred by Gerry Harvey and is by his Westbury Stud stallion Swiss Ace out of the Red Giant mare Cosmetic. Second dam Renovated is a half-sister to the Australian Group winners Alma’s Fury and Enforced.
