And even the sheer class of taking on so many Group 1-proven horses with Habana doesn’t intimidate.
“We know how good he is, and he is at his peak whereas that may not be the case for some of his rivals. We don’t know that but we can’t be scared of them.”
But what does worry Noble about Habana going into the biggest challenge of his career is what is inside Habana’s head. Or isn’t inside his head.
“He is a very quirky horse,” explains Noble. “If something upsets him, he can spend the whole day running the fence in his paddock or walking around his box in circles.”
So what exactly would upset a big, strong race horse? Interest rate rises? The state of world rugby? Really, what could a horse have to worry about?
“Anything he doesn’t like annoys him. If a green tractor went past his paddock instead of the red one he is used to, that could upset him.
“He is that quirky,” says Noble without a hint of humour.
Trainer Lance Noble: 'He is a very quirky horse.' Photo / Supplied
Which has left Noble and his team wondering the best way to get Habana from South Auckland to Trentham without upsetting him.
“That is what worries me, the travel,” admits Noble.
“Do we take him down early and he ends up walking his box for two days or take him down last minute and he only walks his box for a few hours?
“If he can control that aspect and handle the travel then I think he has a great chance.”
Habana looks the most in-form newcomer to weight-for-age in the grade and if he settles midfield out for jockey-of-the-moment Warren Kennedy he could be the horse to beat.
Still, he has a fair way to go to live up to Aegon’s career record that has a 2000 Guineas, Karaka Million Three-Year-Old and two big-time Australian wins and a host of Group 1 placings to his name.
If Aegon was race fit and drawn to sit handy and not get pushed around he would deserve to be a hot favourite and he can clearly still win, but barrier 17 reduces Michael McNab’s options and 1600m fresh up is never easy at this level.
Not much better drawn but proven at the highest level is Desert Lightning, who looks the best value in the race.
He has been narrowly beaten in last season’s 2000 Guineas and by Prowess, beating home Legarto, in this year’s Karaka Million Three-Year-Old.
“He always goes well in the big races but the draw clearly doesn’t help,” says trainer Peter Williams.
“He is going into it well but he is going to need the right sort of run from out there.”
Mark Purdon’s horse in doubt
Champion pacing filly Millwood Nike is out of Sunday’s New Zealand Oaks at Addington with her immediate future in doubt.
The hot favourite was scratched yesterday morning after she was found to have a swollen tendon, with co-trainer Mark Purdon hoping it is from a paddock knock.
“We will know more after we get it scanned,” says Purdon.
The setback means not only will Millwood Nike miss her shot at the Oaks and ending her season unbeaten at 18 from 18 but puts in doubt her early campaign in 2024 and her steps up to mare’s racing.
The scratching saw Mantra Blue move from $6 second favourite to $1.85 with the TAB for the Oaks.
Millwood Nike is the second high-profile scratching from Sunday’s Grand Prix meeting this week after New Zealand’s best trotter Muscle Mountain was taken out of the NZ Trotting Free-For-All with a throat infection.
Sunday’s meeting will still be one of the highlights of the harness season though with eight Group 1 races and an open class pacing free-for-all headlined by Self Assured.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
