Champion Melbourne jockey Damien Oliver will be aboard Tiger Tees on Saturday after Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride chose to run the seven year old in the Group 3 $150,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.
Damien Oliver will be the new jockey for Tiger Tees in the Aurie's Star Handicap. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Pride had also nominated the his Group 1 Galaxy winner for the Group 2 $175,000 McGrath Estate Agents Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick but chose Flemington looking for a softer surface.
“I’ll be accepting with him in the Aurie’s Star on Wednesday and then having a look from there,” Pride told AAP.
Tiger Tees has been placed once from three starts since winning the Group 1 $400,000 Bloodstock.com.au Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 29 and Pride is hoping for another Group 1 victory in the up-coming Spring Carnival.
Oliver will take over from Brisbane jockey Glen Colless who rode Tiger Tees in his only start during the Brisbane Winter Carnival when seventh of seven to Famous Seamus in the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 10.
Nash Rawiller was aboard for the Galaxy win as well as his next start when fourth to Lankan Rupee in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 12, the first day of ‘The Championships’.
Then Hugh Bowman got the nod when third to Hana’s Goal in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 26.
Tiger Tees is close to cracking the $1 million mark in prizemoney over the Spring Carnival with $953,050 already in the bank from eleven wins from twenty-seven starts.
Pride will still be represented in the Missile Stakes with injury prone Laser Hawk who will be having his first run since finishing eleventh to Pierro in the Group 1 $400,000 The Daily Telegraph George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill during the 2013 Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Pride has been happy with the progress of the six year old who has recovered from a tendon injury and has performed satisfactorily in three recent barrier trials.
“He’s looked quite sharp in his trials. I’ve been very pleased with him,” Pride said.
While under the care of Gai Waterhouse, Laser Hawk won the 2012 Group 1 $500,000 Flinders Lane Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill as a three year old but has had two lengthy spells since.
