Tattersall’s Tiara preview
It’s the last Group One of the season this Saturday with the running of the Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm. Chris Waller and Gai Waterhouse will be looking to add to their Group One tally, and both have multiple entries to help them do so.
Chris Waller won this race last year with Red Tracer who lines up this year, with Steps In Time and Peron also taking part again. It’s hard to say that Red Tracer has been off the boil given that she won first-up this prep and has two placings to her name – including a third in the Group One Queen of the Turf (QOTT) by less than a length – but by her lofty standards, some may think so. Catkins’ last run was in the QOTT where she ran the worst race of her career when starting a short-price favourite but she did win three from five in that prep. Hugh Bowman takes the ride from barrier one while Nash Rawiller is on board Rad Tracer who jumps from 14. Waller’s other runner, She’s Clean, has been hard to catch for punters of late – her last win was this time last year in the June Stakes.
Gai Waterhouse has two runners in the race, and both are in form. Driefontein has a Group One Robert Sangster win to her name this prep and last start she was runner-up to stable mate Cosmic Endeavour. The three-year-old filly has four wins to her name this time in and has two wins over the distance. Tom Berry takes the ride, and he’s already won three times aboard her.
Avoid Lightning is another who’s in grand form winning three from her last four and while this is a step up in grade, she did run second to Cosmic Endeavour three starts back in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes at Randwick. Steps In Time is a Group One Coolmore Stakes winner this campaign and is a four-time winner over the distance while John Thompson – who won this race in 2012 with Pear Tart – will be hoping to see some improvement from his mare Peron.
Angel of Mercy and Jazz Song join Cosmic Endeavour and Avoid Lightning as last start winners who run in the race while Lohnspresso is one who will enjoy the open stretches of the Eagle Farm track.