It is an unusual time for a horse of such extreme talent to make a comeback to the races, but trainer Grahame Begg is still excited at the prospect of running Niance (NZ) (Swiss Ace) for the first time in 2025 at Caulfield on Saturday.
The winner of six of her 10 starts, Niance’s career took a sharp turn late last year when she cracked her head in a paddock accident after winning two Stakes races over the spring carnival, including the Gr.3 How Now Stakes (1200m).
“We are really happy to see her back as she’s a mare we’ve got a lot of time for,” Begg said.
“She’s had a jump out at Cranbourne and a trial at Caulfield on the Heath track and she’s ready now to go to the races.
“She cracked her head and it’s taken some time for her to come right, but she’s fine now and she’s in good shape.”
A late May return does not leave too much left this season for a galloper of the scope of Niance, but Begg said he has a little plan to get her to the spring in the right shape to aim for a feature race victory.
“I wanted to give her a run now because if you don’t start, you have to go virtually from November through to the spring without having a run under her belt, and that is just going to make the spring tough for her,” he said.
“She’ll run next Saturday at Caulfield and then we’ll back off her slightly and run in a Bletchingly (Gr.3, 1200m) or a Monash and then keep ticking her over into the spring.
“She’s a pretty talented horse and I don’t know where her ceiling is. She’s a real sprinter with 1100 to 1200 metres being her sweet spot.
“If you run in shorter races, you don’t have to have her screwed right down, so Saturday’s race should be ideal.”
Niance is among the early entries for Saturday’s listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m), where she will run into the Stakes-performed Recommendation (Shalaa) as well as last-start Listed Straight Six winner Title Fighter (Lean Mean Machine).
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.
Bred by Gerry Harvey, Niance is by his Westbury Stud stallion Swiss Ace out of the Red Giant mare Cosmetic (NZ). Second dam Renovated (King’s Best) is a half-sister to the Australian Group winners Alma’s Fury (Refuse To Bend) and Enforced (Snippits).
