Australia will not only be the new home for 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain but his handler Stephanie Nigge will also stay in the country as long as the horse races.
Owners Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford are expected to name a new trainer for Americain on Monday but Nigge will remain an integral part of his life.
After his fourth in the Melbourne Cup won by French compatriot Dunaden, Americain bounced back with victory in Saturday’s Group Two Zipping Classic at Sandown.
Nigge’s boss Alain de Royer Dupre was to be in charge if Americain went to Hong Kong for next month’s International meeting.
But with Americain to be set for races like the Australian Cup and BMW in the autumn before he goes to stud, Hong Kong is unlikely.
Nigge has been with Americain since he arrived at de Royer Dupre’s yard two years ago before Ryan and Bamford bought him.
“He arrived one month after I arrived two years ago,” Nigge told Sky Channel’s Racing Retro.
“I will stay here with Americain.”
Although Gerald Mosse seemed to give Americain an easy time at the end of the Zipping Classic, Nigge said the horse had felt the effects of three starts within four weeks.
“We were very happy Gerald looked after him and didn’t give him a hard race,” she said.
“This morning he was a bit tired. Three races in one month, he’s not used to doing it at home and he give everything he can.”
Americain’s Melbourne Cup fourth under 58 kilograms is his only defeat from five starts in Australia.
He won the Geelong Cup in the lead-up to the 2010 Melbourne Cup and claimed the Moonee Valley Cup on the way to this year’s race.
Ryan and Bamford are believed to be considering offers from several studs to stand Americain from the spring of next year.
The are also keen to have the horse trained in a rural environment for his final campaign with David Hayes, Anthony Freedman and Darren Weir among the names suggested.
Weir trains at Ballarat, Freedman is at Rye on the Mornington Peninsular and Hayes is based at Euroa in north east Victoria.
AAP TURF
