Nymph Monte made his mark at stakes level last season and the six-year-old will be on the trail of higher honours this preparation.

The Listed Metropolitan Trophy Handicap winner took a step closer to a new campaign at Waverley on Tuesday when he finished a tidy third in an open 1000m heat.

“It brought him on again and he did it all under his own steam,” part-owner and trainer Grant Nicholson said.

“He’ll trial again on August 22 at Foxton and then head to Hastings. At this stage, he will run on the first day in the open mile and then into the open 2000m handicap on the second day before the Livamol Classic.

“He’s a pretty clean-winded horse and two runs should have him right for the Group One. We just hope the tracks will be good for him.” 

The son of Tavistock has a handy record at Hawke’s Bay, having won there over 2100m and weighed in a further three times from five appearances. 

Nicholson will now have a re-think on the programme of Nymph Monte’s half-brother Artaxerxes, whose seasonal debut has been delayed by the abandonment of Thursday’s Woodville races.
Meanwhile, the three-year-old Reliably Perky is expected to come into her own this season when she gets up to a mile and beyond.

“The more ground the better for her,” Nicholson said. “We think a bit of the filly and, like most Reliable Mans, she’s going to need further to show what she can do.”