High-Risk Gamble with Fiesolana Pays Off

The leggy, near-black bay daughter of Aussie Rules  —Tidal Reach, by Kris S., had won the Dubai Challenge Stakes (Eng-II) at Newmarket and three other group III races in Ireland. She was the second group winner foaled by her dam, who produced a third black-type runner. Fiesolana, which means "lady from Fieso (a village in Italy)," had done enough.

 

But Alan Cooper, racing manager for the Niarchos family, saw a filly who wasn't done racing, and he sent her back to trainer Willie McCreery.

 

"She is a racehorse, a sound racehorse and sometimes it is hard to get those two things together. Mentally she is very strong as well. We just thought, 'What the hell, let's put her back into training,' " said Cooper with a light-heartedness that comes after a big risk and a grand plan has fallen into place. "Really, it was a big risk. The thing to do was step her up, give her the proper chance." 

 

Back under the care of McCreery, who is the son of the late national hunter trainer Peter McCreery and the winner of two Irish National Hunt championships, Fiesolana continued thriving. She placed in the LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest (Fr-I) at Deauville, then finally broke into the group I ranks by winning the Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes at Leopardstown. She became the first group I winner for McCreery, who has had his own stable since 2009.

 

"(The Niarchos family) bought a group II winner and now she is a group I winner," said Cooper, adding with a sly grin. "It was a big step up. Now I'm a genius."

 

Because the Matron is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), Cooper decided to ship Fiesolana to Santa Anita Park and give her another chance to keep proving herself. She faces a tough field Nov. 1 and her first start at 1 1/4 miles since she was 2, which she won. For the past two years, however, Fiesolana has primarily raced at seven furlongs or a mile.

 

Can she get 1 1/4 miles again?

 

"Yeah, it is a concern but I thought if she was ever going to get a mile and two (furlongs) she will get it here," Cooper said. "She won't get it on soft ground, so she has a chance under these conditions."

 

Those conditions also will include facing the 2013 Filly & Mare Turf winner, Dank, who is looking to become the first back-to-back winner of this Breeders' Cup race. Cooper said Dank is the most dangerous horse in the race even though she has only raced twice this year and has not started since finishing fifth at Ascot.

 

"She has probably the best jockey pound for pound in the world in Ryan Moore," he said. "Dank is going to be very, very hard to beat. She is trained by Europe's best trainer in Michael Stoute; she is not going to need a run, you know? She will be ready to go."

 

And will Fiesolana be up to the challenge?

 

"We just want her to get settled the first half of the race," Cooper said. "She has the ability. She has a great attitude; she is an absolute professional. She walks out as if she owns the place."

 

The Filly & Mare Turf will be Fiesolana's last race before joining the Niarchos broodmare band. Her mating has not been decided.