Kisukano must have been close to wearing out her welcome with the starter before the running of Saturday’s Tab Long May We Play Hcp (1200m) at Eagle Farm, however consenting to take her place in the barriers proved the only worry for her supporters.
Ridden by 3kg apprentice Alex Patis for Toowoomba-based trainer Michael Nolan, the 3yo daughter of Bel Esprit bounced straight to the front and led at every call to defeat the Denman filly Mishani Missby by three and a quarter lengths with the Written Tycoon filly Tycoon Evie a short-head back in third.
Kisukano’s barrier antics are proving to be a headache for her trainer.
“She can be a proper bitch and she was a bitch today,” Nolan said.
“We all know she is very, very good and she put paid to a lot of good fillies today with a big weight. She has just got to take that out of her game to be better. How we do that I don’t know. Whether it be with racing, maturity or a short spell we’ll have to work that out.
“She’s good enough to take to Sydney. I have no doubt she would measure up there, but it’s a bit of a worry now with her. It’s a long way to go to get scratched so we might just have a drink now and have a think about it.”
A homebred for the Reeves family, Kisukano advances her record to 5 wins a second and a third from 7 starts with earnings of $556,350.
She is the first foal of the Show a Heart mare Kiss For Gran who is a sister to the dam of the Listed SAJC CS Hayes Memorial Cup winner Over Exposure and a three-quarter sister to the stakes-placed Show A Prince and a half-sister to Listed GCTC Silk Stocking Hcp winner Princess Margaret.
Nolan went back to this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale to purchase Kisukano’s half-sister by Better Than Ready for $115,000.
Kiss For Gran had a rest in 2019 after foaling a colt by Rothesay.
Sun Stud stalwart Bel Esprit will stand at the value fee of $7,700 in 2020.
