Ballarat Cup: Luke Nolen follows same plan to strike with Zayydani

Luke Nolen claimed the Ballarat Cup on Zayydani in a repeat of the Lindsay Park mare’s Matriarch Stakes victory.

Zayydani won the Ballarat Cup in a similar manner to her win in the Matriarch Stakes. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

It made perfect sense to repeat a winning approach in Saturday’s $500,000 Ballarat Cup.

Jockey Luke Nolen saved ground to give Zayydani a crucial Group 2 win at Flemington at her last start.

Saving ground also handed Zayydani victory in one of Australia’s richest country cups.

Nolen had plenty of room to work with at Flemington but had no such luxury when trying to angle Zayydani along the inside of the fading leader Thought Of That halfway down the straight of the Ballarat Cup.

“I had to tie the mirrors in a bit today because it was a bit tighter, that gap, than it was at Flemington the other day,” Nolen said.

🏆 ZAYYDANI WINS THE BALLARAT CUP FOR THE HAYES BOYS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/4NiRK73abs

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) November 20, 2021

Once that was achieved, Zayydani had to dig deep in the last 50m to deny champion trainer Chris Waller another feature win as Yonkers charged home under Damien Oliver to get within a half-head of the winner on the line.

“I was obligated to go back to the fence and she was still really good through the line,” Nolen said.

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Co-trainer Ben Hayes was understandably elated with Nolen’s effort on Zayydani.

“I think it is full credit to Luke,” Hayes, who trains Zayydani in partnership with his brother JD, said.

“She didn’t go around one horse again and that gap she took up the straight was very tight.

“She just showed how tough she is and she was so strong through the line.”

Hayes said the Ballarat Cup was an afterthought following the mare landing her main goal in the Matriarch Stakes.

Luke Nolen guides Zayydani (right) on the rails to win the Ballarat Cup. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

He added the daughter of Savabeel recovered strongly from the Matriarch Stakes, convincing the stable to give her another run in a spring that started with a 14th of 16 runners in a 1700m race in September.

“The Grand Final was the Matriarch and she came through that so well we thought we’d have a crack at the Ballarat Cup and gee she was impressive,” Hayes said.

Hayes said Zayydani’s win sent her to the top of the Lindsay Park pecking order alongside former Kiwi Mr Brightside, who was narrowly beaten in the Group 1 Cantala Handicap (1600m) during the Flemington carnival.

“Along with Mr Brightside she’s the pin up girl of the stable. Mr Brightside is the pin up boy,” Hayes said.

Hayes ruled out backing up Zayydani in next Saturday’s Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Caulfield.

He said Zayydani would head out for deserved rest while the stable decides her autumn campaign, which could include Group 1 tests in Sydney.

Gold Coast mare Vanna Girl ($26) ran on well for third, a neck from the winner, while the $2.40 favourite Thought Of That finished a length from the winner in fourth spot after leading until the 100m.

Lighthouse victory made in the US

A US experiment continued to produce rewards when Lighthouse maintained her unbeaten Australian record at Ballarat.

Kentucky Derby-winning owners LNJ Foxwoods sent Lighthouse to the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable in Australia to determine whether the grey would make the grade in stakes company.

Lighthouse posted an easy win at her local debut at Kyneton earlier this month. She had little trouble making it two from two in Victoria in the Haymarket BM84 Handicap (1400m).

Apprentice Matthew Cartwright capitalised on the opportunity to ride the $2.05 favourite, giving Lighthouse a soft run to the home turn before the five-year-old comfortably outsprinted her opposition.

Lighthouse scored a second win on Australian soil. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

“The owners decided to send her over and see if she could measure up and it is great to reward them and it was a bit of an experiment that seems to be working,” Eustace said.

“The plan is to get black type and try and make her a stakes winner.

“We felt that she was well handicapped and has probably got another handicap in her.”

Eustace said he and Maher had already selected Lighthouse’s stakes target in two starts time.

“A race like the Chester Manifold would be a really nice race for her on January 1,” Eustace said.

“Over 1400(m), nice big track (Flemington).”

Maher and Eustace completed an early double when Decent Raine ($3.50 fav) posted an impressive 3½-length win in the VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade (1400m).

Decent Raine let down impressively in the straight under jockey Jye McNeil to beat the Patrick Payne-trained Jimmy The Bear.

BALLARAT TAB BETTING REPORT

RACE 1

The memories of last year’s Ballarat Cup Day favourite punters’ bloodbath were not exactly forgotten, but Lighthouse did her best to help favourite backers move on with a commanding win as a well-backed commodity in the first of 10 races. A $2.60 chance when the market went up on Wednesday, she was well-backed in the days leading up to the event and on raceday, being responsible for 57 per cent of trade, and scored as a $2 chance.

BETS: Lighthouse $2000 at $2.25, $4000 at $2.15, $2320 at $2.15, $9000 at $2.10, $4442.50 at $2.

RACE 2

Following on from Lighthouse, Decent Raine made it two from two for favourite backers with an effortless win in the second event. After opening $3.40 on Wednesday, Decent Raine got as low as $2.80 before starting $3.20. Although Decent Raine jumped favourite, TAB held more money – 33 per cent of the win take – on Jimmy The Bear, who was $8 in to $4.

BETS: Decent Raine $4000 at $3.40; Jimmy The Bear $1790 at $4.80

RACE 3

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s dream start to the day ended in Race 3, which saw Cusack overcome a drift from $4.60 to $9.50 to score a narrow win over Cover Star, who was $18 in to $13. Fly Nice ($4.20 to $3.10) had the job of completing a Maher/Eustace early hat-trick, but despite being responsible for 36 per cent of the win hold and having a cushy run just behind the speed, the daughter of Impending failed to come on the straight.

BETS: Fly Nice $4500 ew at $4.20/$1.85, $2500 ew at $3.20/$1.60.

RACE 4

Duchess Of Dorset was one of the better-backed runners on the Ballarat Cup Day card and the Symon Wilde-trained mare justified that support with a dominant win to make it three wins from the first four races for the favourite. A $2.80 chance on Wednesday, on raceday she was $2.15 in to as low as $1.85 before starting $1.90 and was responsible for a whopping 72 per cent of trade. One punter had $11,510 at $1.85.

BETS: Duchess Of Dorset $2500 at $1.95, $11,510 at $1.85.

RACE 5

Ocean Beyond was a mover late in betting – $7.50 into $6 – and took out the fifth race, holding off a late challenge from The Gauch, who was a significant raceday drifter, $2 out to $3.10. Despite the drift, The Gauch still commanded more money than any other runner – 42 per cent – while the second most popular was Irish Songs (15 per cent), who started $7.50 after double figures was available during the week. Sirius Suspect ($7.50 to $5) was the other runner well-backed to topple The Gauch but he was beaten midway down the straight.

RACE 6

Marabi took her record to four wins from as many starts with a seven-length romp and punters rejoiced with the Maher/Eustace filly making it four from six for favourites on Ballarat Cup Day. A $2.60 chance when markets first went up, $2.40 was still available 10 minutes from post time before a late rally saw her start $2.25. More than 60 per cent of the money on the race was on Marabi, the biggest bet being $8648 at $2.30.

BETS: Marabi $8648 at $2.30, $3000 at $2.30 TWICE.

RACE 7

Those who backed Just Benjamin from $21 in to $10 had to share the spoils in Race 7 with the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained import dead-heating with Silent Sovereign, who was $8 out to $10. Favourite, and a well-backed one from $3.80 in to $2.90, was Alcyone who enjoyed a good run but was beaten early in the straight. Alcyone was responsible for 52 per cent of TAB’s fixed odds hold.

BETS: Silent Sovereign $1000 at $9.50; Just Benjamin $1000 at $11, $1000 at $10; Alcyone $5000 at $3.10, $2500 at $3, $5000 at $2.90, $4800 at $2.90, $3500 at $2.90.

RACE 8 – BALLARAT CUP

A strong late push for Thought Of That went astray with the Maher/Eustace frontrunner reeled in late and forced to settle for fourth position. The gelding accounted for 47 per cent of the hold on the Victorian feature, including four bets of at least $10,000 at $2.40. The winner, Zayydani, attracted little interest, resulting in a drift from $8 out to $11, while runner-up Yonkers ($21 to $26) was easy but third placegetter Vanna Girl had support at a price. After drifting from $17 to $31, she had late support to start $23. Defibrillate was the one punters came for to beat the favourite, starting $6.50 second elect after opening $15.

BETS: Zayydani $1575 at $8; Yonkers$2500 ew at $19/$5; Thought Of That $4600 at $2.80, $12,120 AT $2.40, $10,000 at $2.40 THREE TIMES, $3601 x $2600 at $2.40/$1.35, $5000 at $2.40, $3000 at $2.40 THREE TIMES; Defibrillate $1000 x $4000 at $7.50/$2.50.

RACE 9

The penultimate event was an easy watch for favourite backers with Typhoon Harmony scoring an effortless win at $4.40. He opened $5.50 on Wednesday and mainly fluctuated between $4.20 and $4.60 on raceday. Night Passage was the big mover, a $41 chance in the initial market, the local galloper was heavily supported on raceday to jump $5.50 second favourite.

BETS: Typhoon Harmony $2400 at $4.60, $2000 at $4.60, $5000 at $4.20, $3000 at $4.20, $2000 at $4.20 TWICE, $2000 at $4; Night Passage $10,000 ew at $5.50/$2.20, $1900 at $5.50; Saltpeter $6000 at $18, $3000 at $15.

RACE 10

The final race of the day was knocked around by scratchings, with early favourite Marine One scratched on race morning and Outlaws Revenge a late scratching when firmly in the market, which left Authentic Jewel to start $3.50 favourite. The outsider of the field, Aquagirl, blew them all out of the water, winning at $26 after drifting from $19.

Originally published as Ballarat Cup: Luke Nolen follows same plan to strike with Zayydani