Lion Tamer is back in Australia for another spring campaign

After a first up run at home in New Zealand Victoria Derby winner Lion Tamer will be back on Australian soil this weekend as he kicks of his spring in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield.

His start across the ditch was at Group 1 level in one of the best fields the kiwi’s could assemble and he handled himself well finishing fourth behind the likes of King Mufhasa and Jimmy Choux but ahead of Scarlett Lady.

Like the majority to come out of the race he was nowhere near fully wound up for that run and the real business will start this Saturday at Caulfield.

“He looks good, I think he’s tightened up a bit and he looks a bit fitter,” trainer Murray Baker said.

“He got home well, was probably a bit short for him 1400m…but we were happy with the run.”

Lion Tamer has already had a trial at Flemington last week to keep him ticking over since arriving but even with the two furlong distance increase the post could come a little too soon.

“We’d hope that he’d run a  good honest race, may be a touch short for him, we get the feeling he’s looking for 2000m,” Baker said.

Long term plans certainly reflect that with a target towards the two miles on the first Tuesday in November.

“Hopefully we can get him to the Melbourne Cup…we haven’t decided on the Caulfield Cup yet,” he said.

“We’re quite keen on  the Cox Plate if he measures up to weight for age and we feel he will.”

Also running at Caulfield this Saturday for Baker will be Harris Tweed in the Naturalism Stakes however like his stablemate he’s waiting for the trek to step out.

“I think he needs a bit more than 2000m, probably 2400 or 2500…he’s a bit of a once paced horse,” Baker said.