‘Miracle’ foal chasing Group One glory

FOALED in a weakened state, a well-bred colt was rushed to the local equine hospital where the diagnosis was bleak.

A scope showed the ‘baby’ had dysphagia, which is a paralysis of the larynx and pharynx, where the milk is in his throat and is coming out of his nose.

Several hours later, the son of What The Hill was found to have aspiration of pneumonia and given “about 20 per cent” chance of survival.

Provided around the clock care, the foal survived in what breeder-owner Hugh Cathels describes as a “miracle”.

“A few hours after he was born, I went to check on him and his dam and found he wasn’t drinking right, so I took him to the equines hospital,” Cathels said. “A scope showed he had dysphagia, which is a paralysis of the larynx and pharynx.

“It was by far the worst case I have ever seen in 50 years of being a vet. Eight hours after being born he had aspiration pneumonia.

“Somehow he never got a secondary bacteria infection…he just got lucky and lived!”

Fast forward to last September and the trotter – now known as Notanotha Naughty – made a winning debut in Maryborough.

Since then the two-year-old has developed into one of Victoria’s most promising sqauregaiters with four wins and a second from five starts.

Notanotha Naughty’s victories include Maryborough’s famed Group One Redwood Classic three weeks ago.

Notanotha Naughty has since captured a Vicbred Super Series heat, which leads him into Saturday night’s Final in Melton.

“I never dreamed he would be racing let alone winning big races when he was just a foal,” Cathels said. “Obviously the reason you breed them is to win these races, but the chances of him doing it never entered my mind.

“By the time he was a yearling there wasn’t much wrong with him, so we pressed on, but I had no plans of ever training again when I sent him to Glenn Hunter to be broken in.

“I jokingly said to Glenn ‘don’t send him back to me unless he can win The Elitloppet’.

“Well Glenn sent him back and now we’re trying to win our second Group One with him.”

To be driven by champion New South Wales reinsman Luke McCarthy, Notanotha Naughty faces a difficult task from barrier 12 over 2240 metres.

TAB Fixed Odds have Notanotha Naughty listed on the third line of betting at $4.40, with Keayang Bazlenka heading the market at $2.50 from barrier nine.

Winner of his last three starts, Howdy Mate splits the pair at $3.90 from gate 11.

“The draw is not ideal, but you can’t do much about it so you can’t worry about it,” Cathels said. “I think whichever of the main three on the back get to the front first will win, so we’ll just have to see how it unfolds.

“All I can say is I did his last fast work today and felt fantastic.”