Winning Horse: Nobel Heights (Aus)

4yoH Fiorente (Ire) - Free Friday (Aus)(Helissio (Fr))

10 starts - 3 wins 2 seconds 1 third $134000

Black Type Placings

3rd G1 Morphettville South Australian Derby 2500m (2021)

Other Wins

1st Sandown-Lakeside Tile Importer (Bm64) 1600m (2021)

1st Warrnambool Raffertys Tavern Mdn Plate 1700m (2020)

Other Placings

2nd Mornington Penang Turf Club Trophy (Bm70) 2000m (2021)

2nd Sandown-Hillside Ladbrokes Easy Form (Bm64) 1800m (2021)

Race Result:

1st: Nobel Heights (J Childs/M Cumani) - $2.80F

2nd: Lion’s Share (J Allen/S Parnham) - $31
3rd: Chains Of Honour (J Richards/C Maher & D Eustace) - $6

Winning Time: 2:30.85 Last 600m: N/A

Margins: ½L x ½ Neck

Winning Trainer: Matt Cumani

“He did it really well, I think. I would have been nice to see something go with it in the straight to give him something to fight. It will be interesting talking to Jordie whether he was tiring or just a little bit lost in front.

“But I think it was a great win and great to have a winner on a day like this.

“He probably had to do a bit more work earlier than we thought. I was thinking we might sit second or third, one off the rails in the sweet spot over 2400 metres but it took a little bit more to get there. I think it was a good spot in the end there for him.

Confident the horse would hang on: “I was but it is always a worry when you see them down the outside here at Geelong quickly like that but it was interesting to see him have a really good turn-of-foot like that on the turn and everything (else) was off the bridle, so I knew it would be a test of staying power and we know he can stay.

“It would have been nicer to have had something to battle with but it was a great result for the owner.”

What’s next: “I don’t know, we’ll have a look. We just needed to get this win this prep. Hopefully he’s a horse that can keep going and has a couple more runs in him this spring.”

Winning Jockey: Jordan Childs

Was the horse looking for company once in front: “He was a little bit. He’s had a few starts now but he’s still maturing into a very nice horse. Matt said ‘don’t be afraid to get going a bit earlier because he’s so fit’ so once I was able to have that nice enough run outside the leader I didn’t want to be left waiting, I wanted to make them chase me.

“I wasn’t quite sure how far I’d put on them (top of the straight) but he has got that good turn-of-foot when you let him build through his gears and you can put a gap on them without feeling like he’s doing it too hard so it might have been the winning move in the end because the did get pretty close, but he’s just a gentleman to ride, he does everything you want.

“He’s a real push button horse.”