Niance set for 2025 Bel Esprit Stakes return

Niance may have missed the Autumn, but trainer Grahame Begg is looking forward to seeing her bounce back in Saturday’s Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield, a race that plays to her strengths at a track where she has already proven herself at Group level.

The five-year-old mare has been lightly raced with just ten starts, but her six wins include a dominant Group 3 victory over the same trip and circuit.

“She had an injury in the paddock. We’ll leave it at that, but anyway, but she’s back on song,” Begg said.

“She’s had a jump out and a barrier trial, but she’s in very good form.

“She won her latest trial at Caulfield Heath on May 15, she jumped out very well and then trialled very well.”

With Caulfield being a natural fit, Begg abandoned plans to head to Sydney for the Bob Charley AO Stakes in favour of a return at home.

“We had our aspirations of possibly taking her up to Sydney to run in the Bob Charley, but we decided that it was better to stay here, particularly because her Caulfield record’s very good.

“We don’t have to travel and her fresh record’s good.”

Begg described Niance as a mare who defies her physical profile through sheer heart and speed.

“She’s not a big imposing horse, she’s just a good athlete. If you saw her in a sale you wouldn’t buy her, you wouldn’t give it two looks at her, but she’s just got a motor.”

“She’s taken some good scalps, a lot of the stakes form around the sprinting mares is around her, she beat She’s Bulletproof who ran second in the Oakleigh Plate.”

Now sound and fit, Niance is expected to be competitive first-up with Begg eyeing races like the Bletchingly Stakes later in the season.

“Absolutely she’s forward enough to win, she goes very well fresh,” Begg said.

“It gives us the opportunity, running on the 31st of May. She can have a back-off, and then possibly gear up for something like the Bletchingly or something like that, tail end of July, and then we’ll just tinker around with her.”

Begg also confirmed that King Zephyr will spell following a flat effort in the heavy going at Flemington, with spring targets likely on the agenda.

“He didn’t handle the heavy eight. But he’s pulled up good, so he’s just going to have a month off and get ready for the spring. He’ll hopefully measure up in a nice race.”

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