Latest news with #Shane Nichols
The Australian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Unbeaten filly Esha sets up big spring carnival with spectacular return at The Valley
Shane Nichols believes he has the ingredients for a profitable spring with Esha after the speedy filly remained unbeaten at The Valley. Esha easily won her maiden on debut in South Australia in March but had little trouble bringing that form to Melbourne Saturday grade in the 3YO Handicap (1000m). A quick beginning left Esha to find the lead easily inside 200m before dashing away to post her second win from as many starts by a comfortable 3½ lengths. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Nichols said his confidence increased when rival filly Bacash was pushed to stay in touch with Esha a long way from home. 'I suppose when Bacash was niggling up outside her just to stay in touch early, I thought we were in a pretty good position,' Nichols said. 'She quickened up like we saw in her trials and we saw in Adelaide. 'When they're short, you like them to do what they're supposed to and she did what she's supposed to do. 'I think we've got the ingredients of a really nice filly going forward.' Saturday's $150,000 was the first in what could be a lengthy spring campaign for the Extreme Choice filly. Nichols said he would consider a trip to Sydney for a Group 2 race for Esha's next start but he also wanted to test the daughter of his former stable star I Am A Star on other circuits. 'Potentially, she could go to the Silver Shadow in Sydney in two weeks at 1200(m),' Nichols said. 'But her (welfare comes) first, there's a long spring ahead. 'There's a lot of opportunities for a three-year-old filly so I'm mindful of the fact that if we do win a fillies stakes race, we get penalties against the boys. 'I would like to let her have a look at the straight. 'There's a whole lot of things I'd like to cram into a period so getting it right is the tricky bit.' Petit Artiste completed a Mornington-trained quinella when he ran on soundly to grab second ahead of the consistent Oyster Lane, from the Ciaron Maher stable.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Shane Nichols filly Esha sets up big spring carnival with spectacular return at The Valley
Shane Nichols believes he has the ingredients for a profitable spring with Esha after the speedy filly remained unbeaten at The Valley. Esha easily won her maiden on debut in South Australia in March but had little trouble bringing that form to Melbourne Saturday grade in the 3YO Handicap (1000m). A quick beginning left Esha to find the lead easily inside 200m before dashing away to post her second win from as many starts by a comfortable 3½ lengths. Nichols said his confidence increased when rival filly Bacash was pushed to stay in touch with Esha a long way from home. 'I suppose when Bacash was niggling up outside her just to stay in touch early, I thought we were in a pretty good position,' Nichols said. 'She quickened up like we saw in her trials and we saw in Adelaide. 'When they're short, you like them to do what they're supposed to and she did what she's supposed to do. 'I think we've got the ingredients of a really nice filly going forward.' She's well above average! Esha justifies the short quote with a dominant display at The Valley, she's two for two and on the up â� @LaneDamian @shanenicholsrac — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) August 9, 2025 Saturday's $150,000 was the first in what could be a lengthy spring campaign for the Extreme Choice filly. Nichols said he would consider a trip to Sydney for a Group 2 race for Esha's next start but he also wanted to test the daughter of his former stable star I Am A Star on other circuits. 'Potentially, she could go to the Silver Shadow in Sydney in two weeks at 1200(m),' Nichols said. 'But her (welfare comes) first, there's a long spring ahead. 'There's a lot of opportunities for a three-year-old filly so I'm mindful of the fact that if we do win a fillies stakes race, we get penalties against the boys. 'I would like to let her have a look at the straight. 'There's a whole lot of things I'd like to cram into a period so getting it right is the tricky bit.' Petit Artiste Oyster Lane, from the Ciaron Maher stable.
News.com.au
30-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Streets Of Avalon's $350,000 half-brother Bradford to debut at Sale on Thursday
Mornington trainer Shane Nichols didn't mind supporting a move away from a formula that produced a dual Group 1 winner. Streets Of Avalon won two Group 1 races among six stakes successes as a result of the union between stallion Magnus and the Black Minnaloushe mare Kamuniak. The breeding match also produced city-class gallopers Eugenius and Orlando Grove. However, Streets Of Avalon's breeders decided to change this for Kamuniak's 2022 stud season, sending the mare to champion stallion Written Tycoon. Nichols paid $350,000 for the resulting colt, Bradford, which will debut at Sale on Thursday. 'It's a great mix of owners, a few new clients and some old clients that have been with me for years so it should be good,' Nichols said. The trainer said the different sire brought a superior specimen to Bradford's half-siblings. 'He's bigger, stronger and has more length than all the others,' Nichols said. 'He's a better type than Streets Of Avalon, Eugenius, Orlando Grove and Kentucky Woman, better than all of them.' Bradford is a $26 in early betting on the Vale Peta Tait Maiden Plate (1210m), a race named in honour of a stablehand that died in a Cranbourne stable tragedy earlier this month. The rising three-year-old finished third and fourth in jumpouts leading up to his race debut but Nichols said the results were a secondary consideration. 'We're just trying to educate him in his jumpouts because there's no money in jumpouts,' Nichols said. 'He'll definitely be competitive first-up'. Meanwhile, Nichols said his sole Flemington acceptor Fenestella was all but certain to miss Saturday's TAB We're On (1410m) in preference for a provincial maiden.
