Joe Pride believes Tiger Tees is ready to go to another level when he makes his first foray into Group company at Doomben on Saturday.
The consistent four-year-old earned a trip north for the winter carnival with a typically gutsy first-up performance to win the Listed Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 28.
It was the gelding’s first stakes test and took his record to an impressive seven wins and three seconds from 10 starts ahead of Saturday’s Group Three BRC Sprint (1350m).
“It looks a nice race for him,” Pride said.
“A few might take him on for speed but he’s a pretty fast horse himself.
“He’s in great order. He’s ready to take the next step and I think he can do that.”
Tiger Tees, who holds a nomination for the Group One Stradbroke Handicap, has drawn barrier 13 of 16 for Saturday’s race but Pride isn’t too concerned.
He said having Christian Reith aboard was an advantage as the jockey had ridden Tiger Tees at his past eight starts and knew him well.
Reith had a successful two-day Scone Cup carnival on the corresponding weekend last year winning the feature Cup and the Dark Jewel Classic.
Reith will ride at Scone this Friday but elected to stick with Tiger Tees over riding at Scone on Saturday.
Pride kept Tiger Tees up to the mark for his Brisbane assignment with a barrier trial win at Warwick Farm last week.
Tiger Tees is on the third line of betting with TAB Sportsbet at $5, behind Smokin Joey ($2.80) and Free Wheeling ($3.80).
Pride believes his other Brisbane runner Miss Keepsake can bounce back in the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup (1600m) after her last start seventh in the Group Two Emancipation Stakes (1600m).
Prior to that Miss Keepsake had won the Bert Lillye Memorial (1300m) first-up at Kembla Grange and finished second to More Joyous in the Group One Queen Of The Turf (1500m).
“She was ridden upside down the other day and sat outside the leader. She’s never done that before and we won’t be doing that again,” Pride said.
“She’s in good order.”
