Noble Knight on Southland crusade

[Wandering Eyes]

Noble Knight has ventured to Southland just once before, winning last year’s Invercargill Gold Cup (2600m), and he will be out to keep his 100 percent strike rate intact in the region when he heads to Ascot Park on Saturday to defend his crown in the Olphert Contracting LTD-sponsored event.

The Prebbleton gelding heads into the race in good form, having won the Marlborough Cup (2000m) at Riccarton last month after finishing runner-up in the Waikouaiti Cup (2200m) at Wingatui a week prior.

“It was a good win last start and his work has been good, so I am pretty happy with him,” trainer and part-owner Sandy Cunningham said.

The eight-year-old son of Ghibelline’s has been lumbered with topweight of 60kg, but will get some weight relief courtesy of apprentice jockey Floor Moerman’s three-kilogram claim, and he will jump from barrier three.

“He has drawn well and being top weight, it is nice being able to claim a little bit too with Floor,” Cunningham said. “She gets on with the horse, so that is really good.”

Bred by White Robe Lodge’s Wayne and Karen Stewart, Noble Knight will reunite with the Otago couple on his way south as Cunningham makes a pitstop at the renowned thoroughbred nursery on her way to Invercargill.

“I am very spoilt because I get to stop and camp at White Robe Lodge overnight, so I will stop there and take them down the next day,” Cunningham said. “The trip down there is long enough, so it breaks the trip up.”

All going to plan post-Saturday, Noble Knight will head to Wingatui in a fortnight where he will attempt to score an elusive stakes victory in the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m), a race he placed in two years ago.

“I’ll have another go at the Dunedin Gold Cup, which is going to be a wee bit of a tougher task,” Cunningham said.

Noble Knight will be joined on the float trip south by stablemate Watson, who will be seeking a breakthrough win in the Heineken Maiden (1600m).

“His work has been better than his races, so he has been a wee bit disappointing,” Cunningham said.

“He has drawn well (2) so fingers-crossed he goes a bit better. He has a hood on for the first time, so it might wake him up a little bit.”

Noble Knight currently heads the market for the Invercargill Gold Cup, alongside Smooth Operator, at $3.50, while Watson is rated an $11 winning hope with TAB bookmakers for his contest.

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