Noble out to put sponsors in Boxing Day spotlight
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • December 23rd, 2025 3:27 PM • 4 min read
Last year’s edition of the iconic Boxing Day races at Ellerslie turned out to be an unforgettable afternoon for the meeting’s major sponsors, and trainer Lance Noble is hoping history will repeat on Friday.
The black and yellow chequered colours of Cambridge Stud owners Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay were carried to three victories on Boxing Day 2024. Noble saddled Remala to win the Horizon by Skycity 2YO and About Time to win the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers’ Championship Final, while top-class mare Snazzytavi took out the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic for trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall.
Twelve months on, Noble is lining up another strong Boxing Day contingent. He will send out Jaarffi to defend the sponsors’ title in the Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic, while Mollify and Daring Dame will tackle the Dunstan Stayers’ Final and First Dance will contest the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final.
There are also strong chances on the undercard with two-year-old filly Liguria and talented mare Frostfair.
“It was obviously a special day for the team last year, and it’s one of the biggest racedays of the year,” Noble told RaceForm. “From a stable of only 25 horses, for us to have six runners on Boxing Day this year – and all of them with some form – is something we’re pretty chuffed about. It’s a credit to our staff and I’m so grateful for all of their hard work to get us here.”
The $125,000 Dunstan Stayers’ Final has been a good race for Noble and the Lindsays, who won it with Aquacade three seasons ago and with About Time last year.
Four-year-old mare Mollify has the credentials to follow suit, having won four of her 12 starts including her last two in 2100-metre Rating 75 events.
“We’ve had some good luck with setting some emerging talents for this race and bringing them up through the grades to get there,” Noble said.
“Mollify has come a long way quite quickly and she’ll end up carrying topweight this week, but her form has been very good. She’s had two strong wins over ground in those last two starts.
“I think it’s a nice race for her. We’re very happy. She’s come through her last-start win at Tauranga particularly well.”
Mollify will be joined in the capacity Dunstan line-up by the lower-rated Daring Dame. The daughter of in-form stallion Almanzor has had a win and six placings from a 10-start career, most recently finishing third in a 2200-metre Rating 65 at Te Rapa on December 13.
“Her form looks a little bit patchy, but she’s had a few excuses with checks and wide barriers,” Noble said. “She’s probably still six months away physically, but she’s qualified for the race, she’s well and her last start was okay. She deserves her opportunity.”
Jaarffi heads into the Zabeel Classic as arguably the best horse in New Zealand not to have won at black-type level. She has been a five-time stakes placegetter, including a luckless second in a photo finish to last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.
This time in, the Iffraaj mare has again finished strongly for second in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint, third in the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes and third in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes.
“It was a wonderful result for the Cambridge Stud team in the Zabeel Classic last year, sponsoring the race and winning it with Snazzytavi,” Noble said. “I’m really excited to have one in the race for them this year, and Jo and Brendan are excited too, and let’s hope those colours can feature prominently again.
“She’s going up to 2000 metres for the first time, but she’s been building towards that. Her form has been good with strong finishes over the shorter trips.
“We’re very happy with the horse, but we’re well aware that it’s a fantastic field and she’s going to need to produce a career-best performance.”
First Dance heads into the Stella Artois Final after finishing second in both of her last two starts. She chased home rising star Smart Love at Pukekohe, then was edged out by a head by Moxie at the same venue.
“Moxie is likely to be one of the favourites for the race, and he narrowly beat us last start when we were both carrying the same weight,” Noble said. “He’ll have a bit more weight this time, so there’s a bit of a swing in our favour there.
“She’s a very consistent and honest mare who has been working well leading into this.”
Noble will shoot for back-to-back wins with a first-starter in the Boxing Day juvenile race. He won it with Remala last year and will this time be represented by the well-related recent trial winner Liguria.
“She’s a homebred and is bred to run, being by Snitzel out of the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes winner Vernazza,” Noble said. “She possibly doesn’t have the build of a typical two-year-old, but she has a beautiful action.
“These races are always exciting, there are a few trial winners in the field and you don’t really know what you’ve got. We’ll know more on Friday, but she’s a filly I really like.”
Noble’s Boxing Day contingent is rounded out by Frostfair, whose chances were extinguished at the start in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint at Te Rapa earlier this month.
“She played up in the gates, botched the start and it was game over,” Noble said. “Going back to Ellerslie suits her, she races well that way around. It’s a smaller field, so they won’t take as long to load and she won’t be standing in the gates for as long. She’s capable of a much-improved performance.”
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Boxing Day Racing includes meetings at Ellerslie, Ōtaki and Wingatui. Race highlights are the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic and the Auckland Guineas from Headquarters.
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