Hot Nandowra To Cool Before Derby Start

Savabeel’s Singapore star Nandowra maintained his unbeaten run this preparation at Kranji Friday night. The four-year-old had won his previous two starts and continued his hot run of form with his latest success under top jockey Joao Moreira.

Trained by Michael Freedman, the WS-bred and sold gelding has six wins and four placings from his 13 appearances for the Results Stable. “He’s a lovely horse and just tries so hard,” Moreira said. “He had to carry 56.5kg and the two placegetters were down there on 50kg. He tried hanging in and it was a lot of work to get him to the line. We worked hard early in the race to get him near the pace and then he was hard work with the way he was racing. At the finish though, it was a good, tough win.”

Freedman said he would now give the gelding a break and aim him towards the Derby in July. “He’s had three starts this year and has won them all. I think he’s earned a bit of a break now. He can have a month off and then we’ll look at preparing him for the Derby in July. He can be a bit of a handful. He’s got a lot of ability but he’s got that Zabeel in him whereby they can be a bit green, a bit like a two-year-old. I’m pretty sure he will stay so I will give him a chance towards the Derby.”

Nandowra was a $25,000 purchase from WS’s 2009 Premier Sale draft and is out of the winning O’Reilly mare Fabaz, who is a half-sister to the Gr 3 Summer Cup winner Zanetta (Centaine).