MACAU: Noonan Flies The Flag For Australia

Saturday, 4 August 2012: Top Victorian apprentice Jake Noonan will represent Australia in the the Asian Young Guns Challenge in Macau this weekend.

The series brings together the best young riders from Australia, Macau, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa.

Australia is the defending champion country following the success of Jordan Mallyon in last year's series held at Flemington.

Noonan, Victoria's leading apprentice in 2010/11 despite missing the final three months of the season, has finally got his chance to ride in the series after being unavailable the past two years.

He flew out Monday on afternoon and has spent much of the week mixing with his Asian Young Guns Challenge rivals, while he took part in trackwork yesterday morning.

Has ridden trackwork at Taipa this week and is in demand at Saturday's meeting as he has secured a an additional ride on Easy Money for leading local trainer Stephen Chow in the feature event on the twilight card, the Singapore Turf Club Goodwill Cup.

Noonan has rides on three Australian-bred horses in the three heats of the Young Guns Challenge where each race offers points on the basis of 25-15-10-7-5-3-2-1 to competing riders.

He will partner Happy Strength from barrier seven Heat 1, has drawn eight with Happy Forever in Heat 2, while Turquoise Dane – a son of Redoute's Choice and Wakeful Stakes winner Timbourina – will start from five in the final heat.