The prospect of another rain affected track on Saturday has trainer Joe Pride clicking his heels together with joy with noted wet tracker Tiger Tees heading to Brisbane for the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben.
A wet track would suit Tiger Tees, yellow sleeves, in the BTC Cup. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Bureau Of Meteorology has forecast rain for later in the week and Pride is anticipating very suitable conditions for Tiger Tees who took out the Group 1 $400,000 Bloodstock.com.au Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 29 on a slow track.
“I’m liking the idea of the rain,” Pride told AAP.
“Tiger is in great shape. He will have a gallop on Tuesday morning and travel to Brisbane on Thursday.
“He has been so good this preparation. I even thought his run in the Challenge Stakes was good.”
Tiger Tees kicked off his current campaign with a trip to Brisbane to win the Listed $100,000 Teac Falvelon Quality (1200m) at Eagle Farm on February 22 before returning to Sydney to finish two and a quarter lengths ninth to Villa Verde in the Group 2 $400,000 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 15.
The Dubawi six year old then won the Galaxy before running fourth to Lankan Rupee on a heavy 9 in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 12 followed by a third to Hana’s Goal in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 26 on a slow 6.
The weight for age BTC Cup has attracted a high quality group of sprinters including Group 1 winners Buffering, Snitzerland and stablemates Temple Of Boom and Spirit Of Boom.
While Pride can see a rain affected track will be a distinct advantage for Tiger Tees, he knows that it is still going to be a tough assignment for his hardy sprinter with the barrier draw to play a huge part in his winning chances.
“It will all come down to barriers,” Pride said.
“If we draw inside Buffering then I wouldn’t want to hand up the lead to him so we just have to wait and see what we come up with.”
Local hero Buffering and Darley three year old Sidestep share favouritism at $3.20 in the BTC Cup with Snitzerland marked as an $8 chance alongside of stablemate Hot Snitzel with Spirit Of Boom at $9 and Temple Of Boom at $11 while Tiger Tees has been assessed as a $17 chance.
