Destroy delivered the first black-type victory for Mogumber Park sire Natural Blitz in the LR Bunbury Cup (2200m) on Thursday.

The south-west’s signature event was a triumph for the Noske family – Destroy is trained by Jeff Noske for his wife Jodie and his brother Mark.  And their son Jarrad rode the gelding to a well-timed victory over Reprisal and Dreamaway.

Mogumber Park owners Colin Brown and Fiona Lacey were also celebrating the win at their Bullsbrook nursery.  They stand Natural Blitz for a $2,750 (inc gst) service fee and he has emerged as one of Sunspeed’s leading lights this season.

Destroy (4g Natural Blitz – Old Model by Old Spice) had to overcome a number of setbacks on the way to the Bunbury Cup.  “He cut a leg pretty badly as a young horse and then we almost lost him after an adverse reaction to medication,” Noske recalled. “But we persevered because he has so much ability.”

The budding stayer won his maiden at Pinjarra in January 2012 and quickly rose through the ranks with three wins during Belmont’s winter season last year.  “I was keen to set him for the Kalgoorlie Cup but had to put him on ice because of a hoof abscess,” Noske added.  “We’ve had the Bunbury Cup in mind since then and now he will go for the double in the Pinjarra Cup.  The further he goes, the better.”

Natural Blitz is the only son of Dehere at stud in Australia and he was a G2 winner at Caulfield, Moonee Valley, Rosehill and Eagle Farm.  It took an all-time champion like Northerly to deny him a Group 1 in the 2003 Australian Cup at Flemington.

Destroy is from his first crop and so is classy mare Ningaloo Blitz.  She was considered a front-line Bunbury Cup candidate but went off the boil after winning her fourth race in a row at Ascot on February 9.

– Karl Patterson