Group 1 winning sprinter Tiger Tees will bypass the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in favour of a return trip to Queensland to race at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Sydney trainer Joe Pride confirmed that Tiger Tees will travel to the Gold Coast for Saturday’s $100,000 Gold Coast Stakes over 1200m.
The Gold Coast Stakes has attracted a strong field of 15 including well-credentialed local hopes Whiskey Allround (Tony Gollan) and G2 winner Sir Moments (Steve O’Dea).
Pride said he had opted in favour of a hit-and-run mission to the Gold Coast in a bid to rejuvenate his eight-year-old.
It’s a formula that has worked in the past when Tiger Tees previously snapped an 18-month winning drought to win the Listed Falvelon Stakes at Eagle Farm in 2014 before returning to Sydney two starts later to claim the G1 Galaxy (1100m).
“He won that race in Brisbane and we thought that would be the last race he’d ever win but he went on to win the Galaxy,” said Pride.
“He’s a funny, quirky horse. He’s been a sensational horse for us.”
Pride said he was encouraged by the prospect of a soft track for Tiger Tees and wasn’t bothered by the 61kg top weight he will carry at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
“I knew what weight he was going to get when I sent him up there,’’ said Pride.
“There’s a few horses in the field that are a bit scary but if he’s on song, they won’t be able to beat him.
“He wants the sting out of the ground every day of the week.”
Tiger Tees will be ridden by the experienced Jeff Lloyd, who is currently third on the Queensland Metropolitan Jockeys Premiership behind Jim Byrne and apprentice James Orman.
Tiger Tees has won at both Doomben and Eagle Farm in previous trips to Queensland and Pride said he was hopeful his grand campaigner could add to his stable’s recent success at the Gold Coast.
Pride has scored feature race wins from his last two starters at the Gold Coast, with Diamond Oasis winning the Bat Out of Hell Quality (900m) on Boxing Day and I Am Zelady winning the Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Quality (1300m) on Magic Millions Day.
