While many of the country’s trainers will be hoping to be trackside this weekend with the possible resumption of racing, Lance Noble won’t be one of them.
Noble, who is the private trainer for Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay at their Karaka property, comes under the Auckland catchment, which will remain in COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown until Tuesday night at the earliest.
The remainder of the country are awaiting the Government’s alert level announcement on Friday afternoon, with an ease to Level 3 restrictions allowing for the four race meetings programmed for the weekend to take place.
While unable to physically be present on track, Noble is set to have four horses compete at Te Rapa, in Hamilton, on Saturday.
His team will travel from their Karaka-base via a commercial transporter to Te Rapa where Noble will call on the services of staff from Cambridge Stud to take care of this team while they are in Waikato.
“Everybody helps each other out but with Cambridge Stud being down there (Waikato) we have got Cameron Ring (Cambridge Stud Sales and Nominations) who will saddle them up,” Noble said.
“We are lucky we have got staff we can rely on from the stud.”
Noble’s charge on Saturday will be led by dual stakes performer Beldarra in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), which has been transferred from last Saturday’s Ruakaka meeting.
“She performed pretty well last season without winning a race – a third in the Matamata Breeders’ (Gr.2, 1200m) and a third in a Listed race (Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes, 1100m) against the colts.
“She is quite forward. She has only had the one trial on the synthetic track (winning her 800m heat) and was looking forward to going up to Ruakaka for the good surface up there, but hopefully the weather holds and Te Rapa should come up quite nicely.
“She has got barrier one, which is a big plus.”
Noble said Saturday’s race is a key lead-up to her main assignment of the spring, the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on September 11.
“She is not a big filly. She has strengthened a little bit with the spell, but she is quite a speedy filly and these earlier three-year-old races should be right up her alley,” Noble said.
“She is forward enough for Saturday but the Gold Trail against her own sex is her main target for this prep.”
Noble will also line-up fellow three-year-old filly Funny Girl in the NZB Ready To Run Sale Trainers Series 3YO #1 (1200m).
“She put in two good efforts as a two-year-old (for two placings) and she is quite forward. She trialled up really well at Cambridge,” Noble said.
“She has got a great barrier draw (two) and she is just one of those fillies who is always going to give her best. I am quite looking forward to her stepping out again.”
While stablemate Marchand and Aglianico are set to contest the NZB Ready To Run Sale Trainers 3YO #2 (1200m), Noble said he may wait for another day with the latter, regardless of the Government’s decision on Friday.
“Marchand is a lovely staying horse. His one start at two was good and he has developed since then,” Noble said.
“I rate him, and it looked like a nice race. There look to be a couple of horses that have got a bit of form so we will get a good line on him on Saturday.
“Aglianico might be a doubtful starter. She has got a bit of an awkward draw and when you have got a small team, you don’t like running them against each other.
“If racing resumes, she is one that just might wait and go to Cambridge midweek.”
While Noble admitted to being slightly frustrated with not knowing when racing will resume, he is thankful to be based at Cambridge Stud’s Karaka property and enjoying the open expanses of the farm.
“We are lucky here on the farm, we have got good facilities,” he said.
“We have been able to continue preparing the main ones, but like everybody, you are in limbo a bit waiting to hear if we are going to race again on the weekend.
“It is not easy, but it is the same for everyone. We are fortunate that we have got a great facility here and the horses don’t know we are in lockdown.”
