Written by Paul Vettise
Shane Nichols will be collecting his share of frequent flyer points over the next few months with a busy schedule on the domestic and international fronts.
On his home program, the Mornington trainer has a $1 million purse at the top of his Queensland wish list for the talented mare Tahitian Dancer (Dawn Approach {Ire}) while his Group winner Streets Of Avalon (Magnus) will be heading further afield to Dubai.
“It’s going to be a busy time and obviously I attend all the yearling sales in Australia and New Zealand and that’s a priority so we’ve got a fair bit on,” said Nichols, who won the 2016 G1 Myer Classic with I Am A Star (NZ) (I Am Invincible).
I Am A Star (NZ)
“Streets Of Avalon has been invited over to Dubai and there’s a lot of races there to suit him. He’ll go over on January 6 and there’s a Group 2 race over 1400 metres for him on the 23rd. I’ll be there back and forth so it’s quite exciting.”
Streets Of Avalon has been a trusty servant of the stable with seven wins, two of them at Group 3 level in the Victoria H. and this spring he added the Moonga S. to his collection.
Magic Millions bound
Barn mate Tahitian Dancer clinched her trip to Queensland for the rich Magic Millions carnival with her last-start victory at Ballarat. She powered home from back in the field to win by 2l.
“The way the day unfolded it was one of the more impressive wins of the day, she was unbelievably good,” Nichols said. “She was at the top of her game and her most dominant performance.
“She’ll run on December 21 against the fillies and mares in a Listed race over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm. There’s another Listed race at Doomben against the boys and they’re seven days apart.
“Her main goal for the whole preparation is at the Gold Coast on January 11 – the $1 million Magic Millions Fillies and Mares over 1300 metres.”
Tahitian Dancer, who has been stakes placed, is the first foal of the Listed Western Australian Breeders’ Classic winner Takanori (Vital Equine {Ire}) and bought out of Willow Park Stud’s draft for $80,000.
Tahitian Dancer as a yearling
“I was actually the under-bidder on her. I went $75,000 and Luke Trevanion, who is the part-owner of Hillside Downs, bought her,” Nichols said.
“I said to him I’d like to train her. He is based in Queensland, but does a lot of business in Victoria and he was more than happy to embrace that situation.”
“I said to him I’d like to train her. He is based in Queensland, but does a lot of business in Victoria and he was more than happy to embrace that situation.” – Shane Nichols
The association was taken a step further the following year at Magic Millions when Nichols went to $180,000 to secure Tahitian Dancer’s half-sister by Choisir, also offered by Willow Park, and Hillside are involved in the filly.
Named Arigato, she broke her maiden last time out at Ballarat at her fifth appearance and will run at Sandown on Wednesday.
Arigato as a yearling
The 3-year-old’s dam Takanori is out of a half-sister to the G2 Apollo S. winner Alma’s Fury (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) and the G3 Doomben Classic winner Enforced (Snippets), who also won in Hong Kong as Championship.
The family also features the G1 Kingston Town Classic winner Arcadia Queen (Pierro) and the G1 Australian Guineas winner Mr Murphy (Danehill {USA}) within its ranks.
