TRAINER Tony Noonan does not want to look too far ahead but Saturday's triple group 1 meeting in Brisbane is looming as pivotal for him. Not only could he emerge from it with an international contender, but also a Melbourne Cup horse, reports The Age.It says: Noonan will saddle Kutchinsky, the favourite for the $500,000 Queensland Derby, who is shaping as a staying star of the future, as well as the highly rated mare Ortensia in the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap.The Mornington-based trainer has
TRAINER Tony Noonan does not want to look too far ahead but Saturday's triple group 1 meeting in Brisbane is looming as pivotal for him. Not only could he emerge from it with an international contender, but also a Melbourne Cup horse, reports The Age.
It says: Noonan will saddle Kutchinsky, the favourite for the $500,000 Queensland Derby, who is shaping as a staying star of the future, as well as the highly rated mare Ortensia in the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap.
The Mornington-based trainer has plans to take Ortensia to Hong Kong in December and then to Europe next year.
In the meantime, he might just gain himself a Melbourne Cup runner in Kutchinsky.
''High-class stayers are not easy to find and he's got that look about him,'' Noonan said. ''If he can go out and do it on Saturday, then we're pretty well placed to take on the spring with him.''
Kutchinsky was made the $2.80 derby favourite after his extraordinary win in the Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben nine days ago, when he passed all his rivals in the straight.
''That was a pretty special sort of win, but ever since he was a young horse, when he won at his debut over 1000 metres, he's always had that touch of quality about him,'' Noonan said.
The trainer conceded he had paid more than he hoped for Kutchinsky as a yearling ($290,000), but was glad he continued to pursue him at the 2008 Sydney Easter Yearling sales.
''I liked him a lot and although we went a bit higher than I would have liked, it might look a pretty cheap buy come Saturday,'' Noonan said.