The pre-race confidence of the connections of La Nouvelle Vague wasn’t misplaced at Wingatui where he took a major jump in class on Saturday in his stride.
Trainers Graham and Michael Eade were expecting a top showing from the son of St Reims in the Fire & Mechanical Dunedin Gold Cup, despite the six-year-old jumping from Rating 57 to Listed company.
La Nouvelle Vague was perfectly ridden to instructions by the visiting central districts apprentice Leah Hemi. They set up a solid gallop in front and strode clear in the run home for a clear-cut victory.“It’s no use sitting out the back with him,” Graham Eade said. “I knew that once he got to the front that he wouldn’t give it up. He could have done another round.”
La Nouvelle Vague’s immediate future is unclear with a lack of suitable distance options ahead of the gelding.“There’s not enough decent staying races around for him,” said Eade, who has the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup as a long-term aim.
La Nouvelle Vague was trapped wide early in the race before Hemi pressed forward and once in the lead the horse relaxed and was coasting at the top of the straight.He held a strong gallop in the closing 300 metres to have three and a-quarter lengths on Saint Kitt, who closed gamely after covering extra ground, with Princess Brook holding third from Revelator.
