For much of Saturday’s TJ Smith Stakes, Luke Nolen felt like I Wish I win wasn’t handling the heavy ground, but topping the Randwick rise a switch flicked and the four-year-old gave the Nolen-Peter Moody combination a third victory in the best group 1 sprint in the country.
I Wish I Win added the TJ Smith to his Golden Eagle win in the spring and would be hot property as a contender for The Everest.
Luke Nolen salutes after I Wish I Win gets up the TJ Smith Stakes.Credit:Getty
Nolen thinks he is better on top of the ground and was worried coming to the turn.
“He just didn’t seem to handle it until he got up the rise and then balanced up and lengthened,” Nolen said. “That was such a good feeling because he was really struggling.
“He just went from there and really picked them up quick. It was quite incredible.
“He is a super horse to do that.”
Nolen and Moody celebrated a victory 10 years on from Black Caviar winning her second TJ in her racing farewell. I Wish I Win ($9) did by a half-length from The Everest winner Giga Kick ($6.50), with a half-length Mazu ($7) another three-quarters of a length back in third.
The trio only got to three-time defending champion Nature Strip ($4.80 fav) at the 100m and he was brave to hang on for fourth after flying through the middle sectionals and opening a three-length gap at the 300m, as he has done for the previous three years.
But he did have much in the tank when the challengers came.
“Obviously, he is not quite as dominant as he has been,” Waller said. “I had a quick chat with James [McDonald] post-race, and he said the horse feels fine but is just a bit off his A-game.
“There is no suggestion the horse is calling for retirement but Nature Strip comes first; he will tell us where he is at. He has looked after us, so we will look after him.”
Moody had considered scratching I Wish I Win when the track became heavy but rolled the dice and won.
“That was special, third run in he’s probably peaked today,” Moody said. “I laid down at 10.30am this morning and the track was a good 4. I was a very happy man. Got up at 12.15, it was a heavy 8 and I didn’t want to come to the races.
“Luke used the rest of the field for as long as he could. You could always see him coming. I’m very proud of him; he’s a bloody good horse.”
Nolen was quick to think about The Everest in the aftermath of the win.
“We were here on trial for that race, so I reckon they’ll be lining up to get him a slot,” Nolen said. “He’s a beautiful animal, and because they’ve given him a lot of time early we’re going to be able to see this horse race on for many years to come.”
Giga Kick had looked the winner briefly until I Wish I Win swallowed him up in the final 100m after experiencing a tight run coming around the turn with In Secret on his outside.
“I was struggling to keep my feet for a while there,” Zac Purton said. “He did well once he got clear.”
Giga Kick has still not won since The Everest but every time he has had excuses, and trainer Clayton Douglas was proud of his effort again.
“We didn’t know about that ground for him and he was OK on it – not great, but he has run second in a group 1,” Douglas said. “He was in that awkward spot and just hustled and bustled a bit. It was a good effort, he’s a super horse.
“We will be back for The Everest in October.”
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