From the family of multiple Group 1 winners Nicconi and Niconero, the three-year-old So You Think colt Defence Force made a winning career debut over 1212m at Kyneton on Sunday.
Ridden by Michael Dee for trainers Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes, Defence Force came three-wide on the turn to sweep past the leader Top Critic then held the challenge of the favourite My Best Effort (Brazen Beau) by a neck with a half-neck back to Vitruvius (Star Witness) in third.
Carrying the colours of the royal blue and pink diagonal stripes, of the Devitt and Gordon families, Defence Force is the second foal and second winner for the twice winning More Than Ready (USA) mare Nicamorae whose first foal, the Warwick Farm winner Rock Amore (Fastnet Rock), finished second at Canterbury on September 22 and is nominated for a benchmark 72 over 1600m at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
A winner at Flemington, Nicamorae is a half-sister to 5-time Group 1 winner Niconero (Danzero) and Group 1 VRC Lightning Stakes and Group 1 AJC Galaxy winner Nicconi now a successful stallion at Widden Stud.
Nica
morae was consigned by Woodside Park Stud to the 2019 Great Southern Sale where she was purchased by Twin Hills Stud.
She was carrying a So You Think filly and was bred back to Exceed And Excel last spring but missed.
