Written by Paul Vettise
The Melbourne spring carnival brings back a special memory for Nick Olive and he’s hoping to create another one next month.
The Canberra horseman’s flagship performer has been the elite level performer Single Gaze (Not A Single Doubt) and he’s banking on another mare making an impact at Group level.
Maid Of Ore (Duporth) has made a stunning return from injury to stretch her winning run to five with the latest of them on Saturday at Randwick where she produced a commanding front-running performance under jockey Tommy Berry.
Trainer Nick Olive
“Coming around the turn I thought it was all over and when he let her go she exploded,” Olive said. “She’s going great and we’ll nominate her for the G2 Matriarch S. on the last day of the Flemington week.
“We’ll roll the dice and give her a crack at that, I think she deserves a go at an elite race like that.”
“We’ll roll the dice and give her a crack at that, I think she deserves a go at an elite race like that.” – Nick Olive
While Maid Of Ore has proved herself to be a free-goer, it’s not a role that Olive thinks she is best suited to.
“That was the way the race at Randwick mapped out and it was set up for us to lead,” he said. “She can throw her head around a bit and if she gets cover she relaxes a lot better and she’s got a brilliant turn of foot.”
Maid Of Ore has now won seven times with a serious injury restricting her to just 12 appearances.
“She’s always showed a lot and won her first race at Canberra over 1000 metres,” Olive said. “She did a high suspensory so we gave her plenty of time to get over that and she’s come back bigger and better. "
A half-sister to four winners, Maid Of Ore is out of Feisty Rose (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) and she is a half-sister to the Listed Weona Girl H. winner and Group placegetter Rose Of Peace (Hussonet {USA}). They are out of the G2 Crawford S. winner and G1 VRC Oaks runner-up Rose O’ War (Danehill {USA}).
Maid Of Ore
“The Laing family purchased her privately as a weanling for $5000 and then they syndicated her out among our stable group,” Olive said.
“The Laings have raced some pretty decent horses, including Red Excitement that nearly beat Winx one day. They are based in Canberra and good friends and have been part of our group for a while now.”
“The Laings have raced some pretty decent horses, including Red Excitement that nearly beat Winx one day.” – Nick Olive
Among the ownership syndicate in Maid Of Ore is Manny Notaras, who was also involved with Olive’s G1 Vinery Stud S. winner Single Gaze.
“We were reminiscing the other night at dinner about those days and it definitely brings back great memories, especially the Caulfield Cup when she ran second and one of her best runs,” Olive said.
She finished runner-up to the bolter Boom Time (Flying Spur) and aside from her success in the Vinery, she also won the G2 O’Shea S. and the G3 Arrrowfield Classic and second in both the G1 Ranvet S., Orr S.
Single Gaze
Single Gaze was bought by Olive at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale out of Redbank North’s draft for $70,000 and earned more than $2.36 million before her retirement and sale to Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm.
“She’s in foal to Lord Kanaloa and that will be her first foal,” Olive said.
