Sandy Cunningham has eyes on a major upcoming domestic prize rather than another trip to Victoria with her proven stayer Noble Knight (NZ) (Ghibellines).
The Riccarton trainer’s focus is on next month’s Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) and her in-form seven-year-old will have his final lead-up on his home track this Saturday.
Noble Knight will step out in the NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho (3000m), but there’s no chance a victory would convince part-owner Cunningham to set sail for The Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool on December 1.
“The New Zealand Cup is the aim, so we just need to make sure he settles well over the 3000m,” she said.
Noble Knight’s staying ability and versatility will stand him in good stead on Saturday and take any worries about the underfoot conditions out of the equation.
“I’m not sure what the weather will do, but then that doesn’t bother me,” Cunningham said.
“He seems to run on all tracks now, I do think he is a little better on top of the ground but he can still cope with the wet as well.”
Safely through this weekend, Noble Knight will likely bypass the Listed Nautical Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2600m) and go straight into the Cup on November 16.
“I mucked up when I ran him over 2100m (in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes) the week before the last Wellington Cup (Gr.3, 3200m) and they went really hard and fast,” Cunningham said.
“He lost his cool in the Cup and over-raced and did everything wrong, so I don’t want that happening again.”
Noble Knight will head into Saturday’s contest off the back of a solid effort a fortnight ago to finish runner-up over 2200m at Ashburton in his first appearance since his four-start winter Victorian venture.
The son of Ghibellines’ campaign started encouragingly with a runner-up finish at The Valley before he stepped up in grade to finish eighth in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m).
The winner Ashrun, who had finished fourth in last year’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), subsequently ran third in the Gr.1 Tancred Stakes (2400m).
“He ran quite well in the Pakenham Cup and as it turned out the run he had before actually took just a little bit too much out of him,” Cunningham said.
“They race a lot harder over there and I probably needed another week with him before the Cup. I thought he held up pretty well in it, all things considered.”
Noble Knight was then plagued by foot issues and required a lengthy break before a pair of midfield finishes at Caulfield to end his time in Australia.
“He had quite a few foot abscesses and then he got a virus as well,” Cunnigham said.
“Things just went a bit pear shaped, but I wasn’t too unhappy and at least we got some prizemoney.”
