Two things firmly stamped Tiger Tara as the horse to beat in next Saturday night’s $250,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.
First was his ultra-impressive winning return at Menangle on Saturday night.
And second was the upset win of veteran Ohoka Punter in Saturday’ Group 1 Sunshine Sprint at Albion Park.
No disrespect to Ohoka Punter, but the fact he beat boom stablemate Colt Thirty One and others will surely have put a spring in the step of Tiger Tara’s trainer Kevin Pizzuto.
Colt Thirty One was crunched into $1.45 favourite but had to blaze a 26sec opening quarter to hold the front from Alta Orlando and was always some query after that for a horse who hasn’t be used off the gate much.
Trainer-driver Grant Dixon slowed a dawdling 32sec second split, but it was evident at the top of the straight Colt Thirty One had a battle on his hands and the four-year-old was unable to hold-out his rising 10-year-old stablemate along the sprint lane.
It was a Dixon and owner Kevin Seymour quinella, but not in the order punters wanted.
ends