Stakes Double for Nicconi
Nicconi enjoyed a stakes double on Saturday with Time Awaits winning the Group III SAJC Sires Produce Stakes at Morphettville followed later in the day by Quatronic taking out the $150,000 Listed Ortensia Stakes at Scone.
Trained at Murwillumbah by Matt Dunn, Quatronic had been racing well in restricted company, but went to a new level with this brilliant front running win.
Taken to the front by Kathy O’Hara after jumping from the outside gate in the field of 11, Quatronic led throughout and kept going to the line to win the 1100 metre dash by half a length.
“He’s got such a good record and is so underrated,” Dunn said. “He’s a real lean, mean fighting machine and he doesn’t take much work.
“When you can begin so well and make his own luck and hit the line running 33, it’s always hard to run them down.
“I just hope the run continues with him.”
Retained to race by his breeders, Quatronic has won seven of 11 starts earning over $270,000 in prizemoney.
He is the best of five winners from Group II winning County mare Suzy Grey.
The Group III SAJC Sires Produce Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday produced a thrilling finish with Nicconi filly Time Awaits finishing too fast for Sebring filly Broadband to snatch a narrow victory in the 1400 metre contest.
Trained by Tony McEvoy, Time Waits was second to Broadband at her previous start in the Group III SAJC Breeders Stakes, but was able to reverse the result this time around with a step up in distance.
Bred by Pipeliner Bloodstock and retained to race in partnership, Time Awaits has the overall record of three wins and two seconds from seven starts and has banked over $266,000 in prizemoney.
Time Awaits is the first foal of placed Danzero mare Bon Ton, a daughter of Group II WATC Oaks winner Mystic Chantry.
Quatronic is the 12th stakes-winner for our popular quiet achiever Nicconi, who covered his biggest ever book of mares in 2016.
226 mares visited Nicconi last spring at a fee of $11,000 and as a result his fee for 2017 has been raised to $16,500.