The potential is there but Prince Tycoon has been a cause of frustration for the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable.
For that reason, Prince Tycoon will wear blinkers for the first time when he contests the Quayclean Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Prince Tycoon started his career in a blaze of glory at Caulfield in May last year which earned the then two-year-old a trip to Queensland for the Magic Millions National 2YO Classic (1000m) at the Gold Coast 13 days later, finishing second.
Those two performances gave the team some heart heading into the spring, but Prince Tycoon failed to live up to his part, finishing out of the top three twice from three starts.
Spelled again, Prince Tycoon resumed with a strong on pace win at Bendigo before he returned to town to run third at Caulfield Heath over 1200m before a narrow second in his last appearance, the Listed A R Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on July 4.
It was following that performance the stable elected to go with a set of blinkers.
“We’re going to add a little bit of headgear to him on Saturday,” Young said.
“He was in front at Flemington last time and he just floated in and out when that horse (winner, Wise Inlaw) came up inside him.
“His last two gallops in the headgear have been good, so hopefully that will work on Saturday and as he’s got a bit of weight, we’ve gone with a claimer.”
Ryan Houston will take 2kg off Prince Tycoon’s impost bringing him with 57.5kg.
Young said Prince Tycoon had also been a frustration with his antics at the barriers which resulted in the gelding spending time with Julien Welsh.
She said that ‘education’ had resulted in better efforts this campaign.
“He’s shown plenty, but he’s just been a bit funny in the gates,” Young said.
“He’s taken a bit of work. We had to send him to Julien Welsh and then got him back.
“This preparation, he’s been excellent, he’s behaved himself, he’s filled out and he’s doing everything right.
Hopefully the blinkers do the trick.”
