A popular win for the locals when the lone 3yo filly Noah 'N' A Deel scored a tenacious victory in the Listed Tattersall's Gold Crown (2137m) at Eagle Farm.
Ridden by Sean Cormack for Les Ross, the daughter of Maurice (JPN) staged a length of straight dual with the 5yo Tony Gollan-trained Princess Rhaenys (Iffraaj) to prevail by a short-head with the 4yo Chris Waller-trained mare Pretty Amazing (American Pharoah) a half-length back in third.
Coming off a third in the Group 1 Queensland Guineas, Noah 'N' A Deel advances her record to four wins, two seconds and two thirds from 14 starts with earnings of $346,650.
“She deserves this. The owners and Les, deserve this,” Cormack said.
“They were going a bit slow for me. I got out, and the horse in front of me peeled off and covered for a little bit longer. She was still going so well, so I had to expose her, so I sat on her for as long as possible.
“I didn’t try and get into her for as long as I could, but when Ryan challenged me, I knew she was a real tough fighter and all credit to her.
“She’s very tough, and she’s not the biggest, but I think she was forgotten quickly. The form behind Kovalica (when second in the Queensland Guineas) was not just a fluke
“She was behind Yellow Brick over a mile. The form is there, and she was forgotten very quickly when she had issues first-up, but Les has got her back to her best, and that’s all that counts.”
A $100,000 purchase for Waverley Park Lodge from the Arrowfield Stud draft from Book 2 of the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Noah ‘N’ A Deel is the first foal of the unraced Dundeel mare Double Deel.
A daughter of the Group III ATC Epona Stakes winner and Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks, Sydney Cup, and Vinery Stud Stakes-placed Snitzel mare Aliyana Tilde, Double Deel has a 2yo sister to Noah ‘N’ A Deel named Chayse 'N' Adam, which was a $75,000 purchase for Les Kelly Racing from the Kulani Park draft at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Arrowfield consigned Double Deel’s Shalaa (IRE) colt to the Magic Millions in January. He left the ring unsold when failing to make his $120,000 reserve.
After missing in 2021, Double Deel was covered by Shalaa (IRE) last spring.
Noah ‘N’ A Deel is the sixteenth stakes-winner for Maurice (JPN) and the first for Dundeel as a damsire.
