Ciaron Maher has bold plan for world domination with Bella Nipotina as Everest deal imminent

Bella Nipotina is close to securing a slot in The Everest as owner Michael Christian revealed the star mare could head overseas for her swan song.

Bella Nipotina could have a Royal Ascot swan song next year. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Owner Michael Christian is in the midst of securing a slot in The Everest for the upcoming spring with super mare Bella Nipotina, but also has an eye on world domination.

Racenet can reveal trainer Ciaron Maher has tabled a bold plan to travel the evergreen sprinter to Royal Ascot next year for her swan song, where she would be served by a northern hemisphere stallion.

As a $9 second favourite, it is only a matter of when, not if, a deal for The Everest is done, with Christian saying Maher has based her out of his Bob’s Farm property on the beach near Newcastle.

With a kick-off point identified for early next month, Christian said getting through the spring was their first point of order, but admitted the idea of a Royal Ascot send off has connections buzzing.

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“She will trial again towards the end of the month with a view to potentially running in the Concorde Stakes (1000m) on September 7,” he said.

“She will either run there or the (Group 1) Moir Stakes (1000m) on the same day.

“One of the plans that Ciaron touched on, which is a long way from coming to fruition, but it is exciting, is if she gets through the spring and she’s racing well is to go to Ascot.

“Then we can get her covered over there by a European stallion.

“There is a lot of water to go under the bridge before that happens, but it is in the back of everyone’s mind.

Bella Nipotina enjoyed one of the most dominant winter carnivals ever seen. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

“For the last 12 months we have gone to the races thinking it could be her last run, given how many starts she had and her age, but she keeps doing what she has been doing.

“She is second favourite in Everest markets and is double the price of I Wish I Win, but she has beaten him twice in the last three times they have raced, take from that what you will.”

After one of the best winter carnivals ever seen, which netted two Group 1’s and another two placings at the top level, Bella Nipotina came of age in Queensland, with Christian saying she has continued to thrive, despite now being a seven-year-old.

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“She had a soft trial at Newcastle last Friday,” he said.

“She has been at Bobs Beach or Bobs Farm up there, where they work them on the beach and it looks like a bloody good set up.

“We are realistic, so we go the races thinking ‘this could be it’.”

Bella Nipotina is a $8 third favourite for the Group 1 Moir Stakes at The Valley.

Originally published as Ciaron Maher has bold plan for world domination with Bella Nipotina as Everest deal imminent