Parting with a lot of coin for a relatively unproven racehorse is a risky proposition for most.
So, when Darcy Mangan and his fellow directors of Ace Bloodstock were advised by renowned bloodstock agent Phil Cataldo to buy into a maiden winner named Niance (NZ) (Swiss Ace), who then failed to fire at her subsequent three starts, there was, understandably, some trepidation.
As history shows, that punt two years ago has paid huge dividends, with Niance flourishing since crossing the ditch. The now six-year-old, who is trained out of Cranbourne by Grahame Begg, has earned $430,250 in prizemoney, having only tasted defeat once in seven starts in Australia.
Her CV boasts two Listed victories and a Group 3 triumph, while on Saturday the mare can add to her tally when she contests the G1 Moir Stakes at The Valley.
“We thought we had something that could measure up in town, but she just keeps stepping up,” Mangan told racing.com. “Grahame always had high hopes for her, as did we, and he has just been so patient with her.
“I had hoped she would be Listed-class, so to have three Stakes wins already and now be contesting a Group 1 on Saturday, it’s amazing. If we can win this, then hopefully go on and run in the Manikato and potentially The Everest, who knows?”
Bred by Gerry Harvey, Niance is by Swiss Ace, who stands at Harvey’s Westbury Stud in New Zealand.
Niance commenced her career with trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy and after two encouraging trials, the then three-year-old debuted with a victory in a 1200-metre maiden at Ruakaka on December 14, 2022.
The sale of Niance went through after she won a trial over 800 metres at Avondale on August 23, 2023.
“She’s actually one of the first horses we bought, I think she may be third overall,” Mangan commented.
“We’d only been operating for about six months when Phil sent through a video suggesting we take a look at her; we thought she was progressive.
“We knew we would have to pay decent money as Gerry had a good opinion of her. I know Terry Henderson and a few other good judges looked at her, so we were fortunate enough to secure her. Some of my family are in her, as are some of my good mates.”
Harvey has remained a part-owner, but Niance now races in the Ace Bloodstock silks carried to victory by horses such as Snow Patrol (NZ) (Contributer) and Angland (NZ) (Ace High).
“I have seen Gerry at the sales a couple of times and we’ve spoken about her. He may well want to buy her back when she retires,” Mangan added.
Begg is renowned for his patience and placement of horses and that has been to the fore with Niance. His hand has been forced to some degree, with the mare experiencing a few setbacks along the way.
In December 2024, Niance’s racing future was in the balance after she suffered a fractured skull in a paddock incident.
“It was pretty worrying there for a while,” Mangan said. “Thankfully, she’s come through it and it appears the injury hasn’t impacted her.
“It’s a good time to have a quality sprinter because so many of the topliners like Giga Kick (Scissor kick), Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) and Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) have fallen away.”
For Mangan and some of the other owners in Niance, competing in G1s isn’t foreign. A number of them were involved in the now-deceased cult hero I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking), who took out the G1 Toorak Handicap in 2021 and the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes a year later.
Those were great times, but they could have been even more euphoric.
“I never saw Thunder win a Group 1, it was during COVID times and we weren’t allowed on course. I was watching from home, it was a strange time,” Mangan explained.
“We also had Snow Patrol run in the G1 Australian Guineas last year, but, yeah, this is very exciting. There’ll be about 40-50 of us owners there on Saturday, so they will certainly hear us if we win.”
