Derby Contender for Nicconi

Tara Madgwick - Saturday May 15

Widden Stud’s perennial favourite Nicconi might be best known for siring champion sprinter Nature Strip, but he has more strings to his bow and showed it when unheralded three year-old Criminal Defence scored a bold win in the Group III BRC Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.

Trained by Peter and Will Hulbert, Criminal Defence was friendless in betting with only one win in his previous 10 starts, but he relished the step up in trip to race on the pace and forge clear to win by a length under Michael Rodd.
 


I’ve told everyone that would listen that he was a Derby horse,” said Will Hulbert.

“He’s not bred to stay, but he looks like a stayer and races like a stayer, so we thought we’ll have a crack, we’re going to the Derby!”

Bred by Gainsborough Lodge, Criminal Defence passed in at Inglis Classic as a yearling and has now won over $180,000 in prizemoney.

Criminal Defence passed in at Inglis Classic.

He is the second foal and first winner from Red’s Image, who was bought by Gainsborough Lodge for $22,000 at the Inglis Broodmare Sale in 2017 when she was in foal to Nicconi with Criminal Defence the result.

An unraced daughter of Dehere (USA), Red’s Image comes from a North American female family and has a 3 x 3 double cross of the mighty champion Secretariat, who probably explains her name and also the stamina shown by Criminal Defence.



Red’s Image has not had a foal since Criminal Defence was born.

Nicconi stands at Widden Stud Victoria this spring at a fee of $27,500.

Criminal Defence is the 22nd stakes-winner for Nicconi, who also sired three year-old filly Nicci’s Fling to finish second in the $300,000 Inglis Guineas at Rosehill.

He stands at Widden stud Victoria this spring at a fee of $27,500.



 

Advertisment

Race Result - Rough Habit Plate Gr3 2000m

Doomben Track: Soft(6) Time: 2:07.57
1
Criminal Defence
- 3g Nicconi (AUS) x Red's Image (AUS) (Dehere (USA))
Tnr: P & W Hulbert Rdr: M Rodd 57
Nicconi
2
1.0
Kukeracha
- 3g Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Portrait Of A Lady (USA) (A.P. Indy (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: L R Dittman 57
3
1.5
Senor Toba
- 3g Toronado (IRE) x Bahamas (AUS) (Teofilo (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 57
4
1.7
Bucharest
- 3c Deep Impact (JPN) x Miss Finland (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: K Mc Evoy 57
5
1.9
Toscanini
- 3c Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Soubrettes (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: R Fradd 57
6
2.1
High Supremacy
- 3g Savabeel (AUS) x Lady Chaparral (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: R & M Freedman Rdr: N Rawiller 57
7
3.1
Khoekhoe
- 3c Turffontein (AUS) x Walvis Bay (NZ) (Cape Cross (IRE))
Tnr: Matthew Cumani Rdr: Justin Huxtable 57
8
6.8
Calm Seeker
- 3c Complacent (AUS) x Attention Seeker (NZ) (Fast 'n' Famous (AUS))
Tnr: M A Kropp Rdr: L V Cassidy 57
9
9.3
Yangtze Rapids
- 3g Frankel (GB) x Kahara River (IRE) (Bushranger (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J Byrne 57
10
14.3
Bold Executive
- 3g Top Echelon (AUS) x Showellen (AUS) (Show A Heart (AUS))
Tnr: G K Taylor Rdr: R Wiggins 57
11
19.6
Sagacious
- 3g Foxwedge (AUS) x Vecchia Roma (AUS) (Testa Rossa (AUS))
Tnr: M J Dunn Rdr: J Parr 57
12
20.6
Bahamut
- 3c Real Impact (JPN) x Bambolear (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: D Chujo Rdr: Noriyuki Masuda 57
More Reading...
Undefeated 3YO King of Light Wins Listed Belgravia
Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.
A Century of NZB National Yearling Sales Success: Cox Plate
Moonee Valley’s A$6m Group One WS Cox Plate (2040m) is known as the weight-for-age championship of Australasia and has been won by many of Australia and New Zealand’s greatest thoroughbreds.
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.
Wootton Bassett Colt Leads Coolmore G1 Trifecta
The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.