Warren Nicholls' speedster staying strong for Gold Bullion tilt

By Andrew Smith

The phrase Kia Kaha translates to “stay strong” in the Māori language, and they are apt words of affirmation for the greyhound bearing the same name.

The Warren Nicholls-trained bitch has been Group-placed on four occasions throughout her 51-start career.

But Nicholls believes Kia Kaha now has the physical and mental fortitude to break through for a maiden Group win during the 2024/25 Golden Greys Summer Carnival.

The Zipping Garth and Daniel's Loss bitch has not missed a place in her last five starts, and has won the last three straight.

She will be looking to make it four on the trot when she lines up over 520 metres at Albion Park on Thursday night.

“She is definitely running at her best, she’s not doing much wrong and she’s been real handy in her races,” Nicholls said.

“She’s coming good at the right time and she’s been very good throughout her whole career.

“She’s only been unplaced five times but coming up towards the bigger races like the Auction Finals and that during the year, we’ve ended up injured or out before the big one.

“So hopefully we’re just coming good a couple of weeks out and continue on and hold that form.”

2024 saw Kia Kaha finish runner-up in both the Group 2 Bogie Leigh Futurity Final and Group 3 Brisbane Young Guns Final.

She finished third in the Group 1 Ipswich Cup in November before a second-placed finish in the Queensland Flame behind Daysea’s Rory.

But her red-hot form since mid-December, including taking out the QGOLD Summer Sprint, has the leading South East Queensland dog man convinced the time is now for a Group victory.

“She definitely deserves it, she’s always there when we’re in the races,” Nicholls said.

“Although she’s won a lot of races and been competitive, the biggest thing that does people’s heads in is she can only run 30 seconds or 29.90 seconds.

“To win those sort of races that she’s been in normally, they’ve got to run 29.60 seconds, so that’s probably confusing a few.

“But she tries her heart out and we’d definitely love her to win one.”

The Group 1 Gold Bullion Final on Thursday, January 30 is the obvious target for Kia Kaha, with heats for the $250,000-to-the-winner race to be held on January 23.

Nicholls also has his eye on southern riches for Kia Kaha once the Queensland summer carnival has drawn to a close.

“We had thought about going down for the Easter Egg and that but that may just change at the moment,” Nicholls said.

“I wanted to try her over 600 metres, and there’s a big race coming up in Dubbo if it suits.

“Just after the Gold Bullion I might head that way and give her a hit over 600 metres, rather than go down to Sydney, where there’s a few things going on with the track down there at the moment.”

The Churchable conditioner also owns Million Dollar Chase finalist Inconspicuous.

The white brindle dog finished seventh in October’s rich final, and Nicholls conceded he was unlikely to return north, having last raced in the Sunshine State in June.

“We sent him down for one-turn tracks, he takes a couple of strides to get into top gear,” Nicholls said.

“Although I think he won seven out of his first eight at Albion Park and he was top grade by 19 months, he had a bad fall in the Rising Star and doesn’t really drive into that first turn.

“It’s not that he’s not suited to Albion and I don’t want him back…he just doesn’t go round there now.”

Nicholls will also concentrate his efforts on targeting Jeremiah Fire towards the Group 1 Gold Cup on January 30.

The blue dog will run in tomorrow night’s Clem Jones Cup as a warm-up for next week’s Gold Cup heats.

Prospects for fellow kennelmates Spiderbait, Claretown Sadie and Blake’s John are also mixed over the coming months.

“Jeremiah Fire is going good, he copped a lot of checks in his last few starts, they probably don’t look real flash but I’m happy with how he’s going and I think he’ll measure up,” Nicholls said.

“He’s been competitive, he’s beaten Valpolicella over 630 metres and Hara’s Luna over 630 metres as well.

“We’ve got Spiderbait, he can be a bit of an enigma, he can run but it’s which one turns up on the night.

“We had earmarked Claretown Sadie too but we decided it might be a bit hard for her, so going to send her to Rockhampton and get her ready for the Rockhampton Cup.

“Outside of that we’ve got Blake’s John, he’ll be the big improver in the next couple of months so he might miss this carnival unfortunately.”

Days Of Thunder was the long-term kennel star for Nicholls, with the stayer taking out a Group 3 Origin Distance race in 2022, a Chairman’s Cup and placing in a Group 1 Queensland Cup.

The trainer is always on the hunt for the next outstanding youngster.

Nicholls is bullish about his options in the near future with recent litters producing potential champions.

“There’s a Aston Rupee/How Not Too litter that look like being pretty good,” Nicholls said.

“The litter as a whole, they’ll be ok but there’s a couple of standouts there.

“With Whisky Riot and Arriba….four out of the five of them look really good so not sure we will have any problem paying the way next year with those guys.”