Noonan’s sentimental double

Ortensia’s dynamic win in Saturday’s Group 2 Winterbottom Stakes (wfa 1200m), at Ascot, was very timely for trainer Tony Noonan, who is in the throws of setting up a satellite stable in Perth.

The affable, and much-travelled Noonan, who is based at Mornington, has always rated Ortensia (b m 2005, Testa Rossa – Aerate’s Pick by Picnicker) very highly, but until Saturday luck has deserted the daughter of Testa Rossa (pictured at Vinery Stud) this spring.

It was a brave decision by Noonan to back up the mare in seven days after her fading sixth behind Sniper’s Bullet in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Ortensia didn’t run out a strong 1600m, and seven days is not a long time to freshen her up for the shorter trip.

Importantly, jockey Craig Williams rode the mare quietly, and took her very wide – she is best when not squeezed between horses – to make her run. She ran over the top of Idyllic Prince – winner of his previous four starts – to grab victory in the shadows of the post.

Ortensia’s sire Testa Rossa is a stallion on the rise and she is likely to be his next Group 1 winner. Read our story on Testa Rossa – “Testa Rossa & life in the valley of stallions” – in the 2009 autumn issue of The Thoroughbred magazine.

Noonan also trained an impressive winner at Moonee Valley, the 5YO mare Belscenica, who in contrast to Ortensia was stepping in distance to 2040m for the first time. Belscenica, the winner of five of her 13 starts, had scored impressively over 1600m at her previous start, also at Moonee Valley, 12 days earlier.

Belscenica, ridden by 3kg-claimer Jarrod Fry, worked wide for the first 700m before going forward to sit outside the lead. The mare kicked clear on the turn for a decisive win. It was a clever ride and an excellent training performance.

As much as Noonan is infatuated with his stable star in Perth, he has a sentimental attachment to Belscenica, who is closely related to Noonan’s only Group 1 winner, Piavonic (b or br m 1995, Scenic–Piave Girl, by Brave Salute), the dam of the enigmatic Von Costa De Hero (by Encosta De Lago).

Piavonic came with a storming run – a bit similar to Ortensia’s Winterbottom effort – to run down the great mare Sunline in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (wfa 1200m) at Moonee Valley in 2001.

Belscenica also is by Scenic (by Sadler’s Wells (USA)) from the same female line as Piavonic. Her granddam Belle Uno (by Delgado (USA)) is a half-sister to Piave Girl – both are out of the fast mare Black Serenade (by Black Opaque), who is bred 3×3, sire line over sire line, to the great Star Kingdom (IRE).

Those who are old enough will remember Black Serenade’s granddam La Paz (ch m 1964, Coronation Boy (IRE)- Peacefire, by Pipe Of Peace (GB)) as being a tough and fast race filly for leading trainer Angus Armanasco, around the same time he also trained the flying Biscay (ch h 1965, Star Kingdom (IRE)–Magic Symbol, by Makarpura (GB)).