An untimely injury setback saw Niance miss the entire Autumn carnival, but trainer Grahame Begg is confident the mare can make her presence felt across the Winter racing calendar, beginning with a return in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield this Saturday.

The five-year-old mare has already shown her talent at the track and distance, having scored a Group 3 victory at Caulfield previously. It was that affinity with the course that helped Begg decide to kick off her campaign here instead of heading to Sydney.

“She had an injury in the paddock. We’ll leave it at that, but anyway, but she’s back on song,” Begg said.

“She’s had a jump out and a barrier trial, but she’s in very good form.

“She won her latest trial at Caulfield Heath on May 15, she jumped out very well and then trialled very well.”

Although the Bob Charley Stakes in Sydney was initially an option, Niance’s strong fresh record and proven performance at Caulfield swayed Begg’s decision to remain local.

“We had our aspirations of possibly taking her up to Sydney to run in the Bob Charley, but we decided that it was better to stay here, particularly because her Caulfield record’s very good.

“We don’t have to travel and her fresh record’s good.”

Despite her modest physical appearance, Begg says Niance’s athleticism has always been her biggest strength.

“She’s not a big imposing horse, she’s just a good athlete. If you saw her in a sale you wouldn’t buy her, you wouldn’t give it two looks at her, but she’s just got a motor.”

“She’s taken some good scalps, a lot of the stakes form around the sprinting mares is around her, she beat She’s Bulletproof who ran second in the Oakleigh Plate.”

Begg is confident she’s ready to fire first-up and suggested several black-type options later in the campaign.

“Absolutely she’s forward enough to win, she goes very well fresh,” Begg said.

“It gives us the opportunity, running on the 31st of May. She can have a back-off, and then possibly gear up for something like the Bletchingly or something like that, tail end of July, and then we’ll just tinker around with her.”

Stablemate King Zephyr, meanwhile, will head to the paddock after failing to fire on a heavy surface at Flemington.

“He didn’t handle the heavy eight. But he’s pulled up good, so he’s just going to have a month off and get ready for the spring. He’ll hopefully measure up in a nice race.”

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