'Team Geran' daring to dream of Melbourne spring riches

By Glenn Davis

The mother-and-son training partnership of Kylie and Corey Geran are daring to dream of a Melbourne Cup berth for Nikau Spur if he wins the Group 2 Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Nikau Spur - a Nash Rawiller mount - burst into Brisbane Cup calculations with an eye-catching third at Eagle Farm last month in a Group 3 event behind the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Campaldino.

“I was very happy with his run, but it was a very heavy track and I'd prefer to see him on top of the ground,” co-trainer Corey Geran said.

“He didn’t have the easiest of runs last time and was caught three and four wide while the winner had a much better run that us.

“If he can win this or races well, he’ll either go for a break or maybe run in the Caloundra Cup before the spring.

“He needs to get his rating up higher to go to Melbourne and if he does his rating will be up in the 100’s.

“If he shows he can run two miles then we’d love to get into the Melbourne Cup or possibly the Geelong Cup.”

Corey Geran is confident Nikau Spur can give him his first Group winner despite the Brisbane Cup being a graveyard for Queensland-trained horses.

The Bevan and Richard Laming-trained Crossthestart won the Brisbane Cup in 2010 while Jetset Lad was the last Queenslander to win for Brian J Smith 10 years ago.

Corey Geran, who has trained in partnership with his mother, Kylie, for the past six seasons, claimed his first stakes win with Nikau Spur in the 2400 metre Listed Queensland Cup in October last year.

Nikau Spur then won the $300,000 Listed Beauford Stakes over 2300 metres at Newcastle last November.

“We set him for the Brisbane Cup at the start of his preparation and everything he does suggests he’ll run 3200 metres,” Corey Geran said.

“He likes a genuine tempo in his races and he settles a lot better in his races nowadays.”

Nikau Spur was initially trained in New Zealand by Rosie Buchanan before he caught the eye of Ciaron Maher’s bloodstock manager Will Bourne.

However, after winning four times for Maher, he was offloaded to the Geran stable who bought him online for $30,000 and hasn’t looked back.

“He won races for Ciaron but his form tapered off in Victoria and he had never raced past a mile when I bought him,” Corey Geran said.

“We’ve trained him a bit different up here and we’ve taught him to settle.

“I think he’s a great chance of winning and I’m very confident.”