A glance at the history books has given Mark Newnham all the confirmation he needs to run Nakeeta Jane against the mares in the Coolmore Legacy Stakes at Randwick, rather than follow his original plan to tackle the Australian Oaks.
Newnham abandoned the Classic as a target for Nakeeta Jane after she finished a well-beaten fourth to Verry Elleegant when he stretched her out to 2000m for the first time and struck a heavy track in the Vinery Stud Stakes.
While sound, the effort convinced him the filly isn’t a stayer.
“I’m confident she runs 2000 (metres), especially on dry ground, but once you get to a mile-and-a-half it’s another pain barrier again,” Newnham said.
“She’s only lightly raced and her future probably sits between a mile and 2000, so it’s not necessary to go to the Oaks just because she’s a three-year-old filly.”
Instead, Nakeeta Jane will be one of four fillies taking on some of Sydney’s best mares including Godolphin’s Alizee and the Ron Quinton-trained pair of Dixie Blossoms and Daysee Doom in the Coolmore Legacy (1600m).
If Newnham did have any second thoughts about his decision, they were quashed as soon as he looked through the recent history of the Group One race.
The past two winners, Alizee and Foxplay, had remarkably similar lead-up form to Nakeeta Jane.
“They both ran fourth in the Vinery, so it wasn’t a hard decision to make,” Newnham said
“And I think this group of fillies is quite exceptional.
“If you look at the Coolmore (Classic) at Rosehill, El Dorado Dreaming ran second and Mizzy ran fourth and our filly is probably a little stronger than them, without being disrespectful.
“‘We’ve beaten them, so it goes to show the form holds up.”
In one of the more open of the 10 races on Saturday’s program, Nakeeta Jane is on the second line of betting at $8 behind Alizee, who was a $5.50 favourite on Wednesday.
The Vanity winner Amphitrite at $9 is the only other runner under double-figure odds.
