The COVID-19 era will be remembered by a lot of people in the industry as a strange time, where horses can cross borders but people can't, and for the reliance on good friendships to help negotiate the challenges of campaigning horses interstate.
Tregea says if Niccanova couldn't have raced in Sydney this time in, he'd be in the paddock, and that was something he wasn't willing to contemplate with the 7-year-old in career-best form.
"There isn't a lot left for him up here. There are no weight-for-age or set weights and penalties races, so really that’s the next step for him," Tregea told TDN AusNZ. "His rating is a bit high up here for the races that we have got, particularly at the moment.
"He has earned a crack at it. He went to a new level last preparation and he seems to get better as he gets older. It’s all about the run in the race. if he gets a reasonable run in the race, he should be competitive."
"He has earned a crack at it. He went to a new level last preparation and he seems to get better as he gets older." - Steve Tregea
When it became clear to Tregea that he wouldn't be able to travel to Sydney with Niccanova, Tregea called upon Randwick-based Craig Carmody for help.
"He's staying with Craig and Craig rides him in work, which is really handy to have. He can tell me how he feels and all that. I talk to him most days and he seems to be getting through it really good, I can't ask for too much more," he said.
"This is what we planned after the Eagle Farm Mile, to have a go at these races. We had to make a decision to put him back in the paddock until either the summer carnival or the winter carnival next year and he was going so well, it seemed a shame to turn him out.
"He got down there last Saturday morning. He took a day or two to settle in, but he's had that time and he seems to be on track now. He had a gallop on Tuesday on the Kensington track and didn't do an awful lot, but he's done well and he's eating well, so we are happy with that."
Niccanova is a four-time stakes-winner, most recently in the Listed Bernborough S., while his only previous attempt at Group 1 company was a fast-finishing third in the Stradbroke H. behind Tyzone (Written Tycoon) in June.
He has been second at both starts since, in the G3 Eagle Farm Mile and in a 1050 metre handicap two weeks ago, first-up off a freshen-up.
"I just hope he can maintain that form, and races like he did in Brisbane recently. That was just a short run. He finished off better than I thought he would and it was probably the run of his life over 1050 metres and he's not suited at that.
"I think he’ll get home well on Saturday, but it's just a question if he gets home well enough."
Tregea calls on Bayliss
The man charged with the responsibility of getting him past a capacity field which includes nine Group 1 winners is Regan Bayliss, who has never ridden Niccanova before.
"I spoke to Regan, and I will again. He's keen to ride him and I'm hoping he suits the horse. Looking at the way he rides, I think he does suit the horse," Tregea said.
Regan Bayliss
Bayliss is no stranger to causing an upset in a Group 1 race, having won the 2017 Newmarket H. on Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}) at $31. He also rode the star sprinter to Group 1 victories in the 2018 Lightning S. and the 2018 Newmarket H.
While Saturday shapes as the biggest test in Niccanova's career, Tregea, who has bred three generations of the gelding's family, and has overseen his development into a top-quality racehorse, is not getting too caught up in the moment.
"I get as much pleasure as winning a race at Toowoomba on Saturday night. I guess if he happens to win, I’ll get a bit more of a kick out of it, but I won't have the stress of raceday and that will be good," he said.
A family connection
In fact, Tregea will be at Toowoomba on Saturday night saddling up a close relation of Niccanova, Champagne Aunty (Trusting), in her second start in a maiden.
That mare is out of Dane Princess (Snippetson), the sister to Niccanova's dam Dananova.
"We bred their dam, Danaria, out of Tarasova, who we bought off Swettenham in foal to Danehill a long time ago. She was the great-grandam of Nicconova," he said.
Nicconi, sire of Nicconova | Standing at Widden Stud
Nicconova's dam Dananova unfortunately died in 2017 after an accident. Of her three other foals, which were all retained by Tregea, only one has been to the track, with the youngest an unraced 3-year-old filly called Dantant (Whittington).
Dane Princess, who won four races, has had one winner, Angel Dane (Zizou), who herself is now in foal to Spieth (NZ). Dane Princess lost a Nicconi colt a couple of years ago but is set to go back to the Widden Stud stallion this year with a view to getting a three-quarter sibling to Niccanova.
