Being barefoot at the races is usually associated with girls who have grown tired of their high heels after a long day.
For the Joe Pride-trained Tiger Tees it was a state he found himself in unexpectedly during a race.
The smart sprinter lost a shoe during the run when he resumed with an unplaced run in The Shorts last month.
For some horses, dislodging a shoe doesn’t greatly hinder their winning chances but for Tiger Tees, who has a history of feet issues, it was a deal breaker.
“When he’s barefoot his feet are no good,” Pride said.
“He didn’t let go when he lost his front plate.
“He was great before that race and he’s been great since but race day is the only day that matters.”
Tiger Tees wore glue-on shoes for his first-up run but Pride has removed them in favour of more traditional footwear for Saturday’s Group Two Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
He has also put the six-year-old on notice.
Pride is keen to take Tiger Tees to Melbourne for the Group Two Salinger Stakes, a race he finished third in last year.
But he wants to see him perform to somewhere near his best on Saturday to warrant the trip.
“The pressure is on him on Saturday. He really needs to perform because we’re looking at Melbourne,” Pride said.
The Premiere Stakes is shaping as one of the better betting races on the Epsom day card with Tiger Tees on the fifth line of betting at $11.
