Sydney trainer Joe Pride will spend the next three weeks monitoring Brisbane’s weather hoping for rain after Tiger Tees continued on his winning way at Doomben.
Tiger Tees took his record to eight wins from 11 starts when he scored a narrow win in Saturday’s $125,000 Darley Sprint (1350m) and Pride said the horse would have his next run in the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400) on June 9.
The astute Warwick Farm trainer said Tiger Tees was an even better horse on a rain-affected surface and warned punters not to overlook him should the rain come on Stradbroke day.
“He’s a top shelf galloper and he keeps improving every time I raise the bar and he’ll need to improve again from this,” Pride said.
“If the track happens to be wet on Stradbroke day he’ll be very hard to beat that I am sure of.
“That’s the race we originally mapped out for him a while back and now we’ll have to make sure it is still the right race for him.”
Tiger Tees ($6) travelled sweetly behind the speed for in-form rider Christian Reith and then held off a wall of horses in the straight to win by a short head in a blanket finish.
Outsider Meet George ($31) drove through late to snatch second with Steel Zip ($31) a short half head back third and Free Wheeling ($3.80) a similar margin away fourth.
Tiger Tees on 53kg in Stradbroke, was 26th in order of ballot before Saturday’s win and Pride said the horse would now go straight into the race without another start.
“That was a tough effort but he is a tough horse and he has an amazing constitution,” Pride said.
“He will go home and eat up and he won’t need another run before the Stradbroke.
“He might have a barrier trial if I think he needs a top up but that will be it.
