The addition of blinkers has proven to be the key for former New Zealand mare No Secret (NZ) (Niagara), who recorded her first Australian victory in Saturday’s A$130,000 Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap (1600m) at Moonee Valley.
The daughter of Niagara showed real talent when she began her career with five New Zealand starts for owner-trainer Murray Garrett, culminating in back-to-back wins at Te Aroha and Te Rapa in January and April of last year.
Transferred to Mike Moroney’s Flemington stable, the five-year-old’s first four starts across the Tasman produced an improving form line made up of a 12th, a seventh, a fourth and a last-start second at Moe.
Moroney applied blinkers for Saturday’s Benchmark 70 event and reaped the rewards, with No Secret powering home from-second last in the hands of Blake Shinn to score by three and three-quarter lengths.
“The blinkers obviously made the difference today,” Shinn said. “Her wins in New Zealand showed that she could do something like that. Mike and his team just waited for the right opportunity to put the blinkers on, and they put them on today and we saw what she can do.
“As jockeys, we always have to look back beyond the Australian form and analyse what they did in New Zealand. Her runs there showed that she can be lethal from the back. I didn’t see any sense in changing tactics with her today, where she was having her second run at a mile. They ran along nicely in front, and I just thought we had to trust her and trust that she would show up. She showed up in spades, and it was very rewarding for all involved.”
No Secret has now had 10 starts for three wins and two placings, earning A$110,092 for a big group of owners that includes Garrett along with Moroney’s major client Rupert Legh.
No Secret was bred by The Oaks Stud, and she is the first foal to race out of the Sakhee’s Secret mare Justa Secret (NZ). Herself a three-race winner between 1400m and 1600m, Justa Secret is a half-sister to Listed winner Espresso Martini (NZ) (High Chaparral) and is a daughter of Group One winner Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper). She is also closely related to the seven-time Group One winner and New Zealand Horse of the Year Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross).
No Secret’s victory at Moonee Valley on Saturday headed a New Zealand-bred trifecta, with El Roca mare Mi Rock Aly (NZ) finishing second and Electric Belle (NZ), a daughter of Power, crossing the finish line in third place.
