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The widely-travelled Noble Warrior went close to causing a massive upset when runner-up in the Gr.3 Counties Cup 12 months ago.
And he tossed the form book aside again when he went one better on Saturday.
Just nabbed by Annie Higgins a year ago at odds of 53-1, the veteran got his revenge in the Chep Pallecon-sponsored feature at Avondale where he staged a major form reversal to win at 62-1.While punters were rocked by the result, it was warmly welcomed by jockey Rogan Norvall, who had been winless in 42 previous rides for the season.
“I’ve had placings and been all around it and it’s nice to get one in a race like this,” he said.Well off the pace in the Listed Metropolitan Trophy and the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup in his two previous starts at Riccarton, Noble Warrior was ridden positively by Norvall to sit upsides with the leader.
“I followed Tempelten across and we got away with a few soft sectionals,” Norvall said. “He got the wobbles a bit at the end, but he’d tried really hard.”Noble Warrior, who has won as far north as Ruakaka and down south at Riccarton and Hokitika, got to the front early in the run home and had enough in reserve to see off the late charge of Nothing Trivial.
Tempelten finished third ahead of the well-fancied The Tidy Express and his stablemate Delago’s Secret.The eight-year-old Noble Warrior is trained by Grant and Tana Shaw, who race the gelding with his breeder Wally Noble.