Group 1 winner Nakeeta Jane (So You Think {NZ}) and jockey Josh Parr have re-united ahead of their anticipated racetrack comebacks later this month with all reports that the mare is bigger and better heading into an ambitious spring campaign.
Parr, who has ridden Nakeeta Jane in seven of her eight starts including in her G1 Surround S. success, has been out of the saddle for the better part of two months as he recovers from a knee injury but he was back aboard the now-4-year-old at trainer Mark Newnham's stables on Monday.
"Josh Parr was back on her this morning for the first time and he’ll be back on her for the spring. He was very excited to be on her again and really happy with the work," managing owner Mark Towell of GT Park said.
Nakeeta Jane trialled late last month for jockey Tim Clark finishing third to Time To Reign (Time For War), with Towell reporting all has progressed well since.
"We're really happy with her, her trial the other day was a really solid trial. Tim Clark rode her and said she was off the bit the whole way, which is exactly what you’d want from her first trial back," he said.
"We're really happy with her, her trial the other day was a really solid trial. Tim Clark rode her and said she was off the bit the whole way, which is exactly what you’d want from her first trial back." - Mark Towell
"She's down to trial again next Monday and then it will be onwards towards the spring."
The plan is for her to resume in the G3 Show County S. at Randwick on August 24, rather than in the G1 Winx S. on the same day, with Newnham then to step her up to the 1400m of the G2 Tramway S. on September 7 before she tackles the Group 1s of the Colgate Optic White S. on September 21 and the Epsom Hcp on October 5.
Depending on her performances in those Randwick Group 1s, she will then either step up to the G1 Cox Plate or tackle the inaugural $7.5million Golden Eagle.
Jockey Josh Parr and Mark Newnham
"If she goes to the Golden Eagle, she'd have a freshen up and might have a trial between. We’ve already discussed it," Towell said.
"I'd be very hesitant taking her to the Cox Plate, first-time the Melbourne way of going, around Moonee Valley, in a high-pressure race would be very difficult for her."
"You only get one opportunity to go to the Golden Eagle, whereas you can always go to the Cox Plate next year."
"You only get one opportunity to go to the Golden Eagle, whereas you can always go to the Cox Plate next year." - Mark Towell
Towell said there is certainly the confidence in the stable that she’ll be difficult to beat in anything she contests given the improvement she has made over the break.
Nakeeta Jane and Josh Parr winning the G1 Surround S.
"Mark believes she has come back a lot better again than last prep. She is a much bigger and stronger filly. She’ll carry an extra 10kg on her racing weight from last time. That tells you how much more she has developed and matured from her autumn 3-year old campaign," he said.
"We saw the leap she took from that early 3-year-old campaign into the autumn. It was a mammoth leap. We are looking at a similar level of improvement this preparation, fingers crossed."
"You don’t know until they get there on raceday, but what she is showing Mark on the track, he is certainly very excited about."
Full sibling on the way
Meanwhile at GT Park, they are awaiting the arrival of a full sibling to Nakeeta Jane in the next couple of months.
"Nakeeta Jane's dam, Lustre Lady (Flying Spur) is due in 60 days. All has progressed well. We had her checked by the vet to make sure she's ticking along nicely. It’s exciting to be getting the full brother or sister," Towell said.
Nakeeta Jane's dam is in foal to So You Think again, the full sibling is due in 60 days
Lustre Lady foaled a Pierro colt last spring, but there were complications resulting in the valuable broodmare requiring emergency surgery.
"She had some pretty major surgery after it. She's still got a couple of minor ongoing complications, but that's manageable, and fingers crossed we'll get a nice colt or filly out of her."
The Pierro colt has just become a yearling, with both major sales companies impressed with what they have seen of him so far.
"Being a half-brother to a Group 1 winner helps, but both Magic Millions and Inglis are happy with wherever we want to send him. We'll make that decision based on where he's best-suited but I'd be leaning to Easter with a horse like that," Towell said.
"Being a half-brother to a Group 1 winner helps, but both Magic Millions and Inglis are happy with wherever we want to send him." - Mark Towell
"The extra time will help him and it gives Nakeeta another preparation to show what she has got in the autumn and boost that page a little more."
Nakeeta Jane will be the only horse in the GT Park colours in work this spring, but with a spelling farm to run, that's enough for Towell and his team.
"We've got plenty of horses in the paddocks and things are going very well," he said of the business.
