Classy sprinter Meet Mr Taylor has some strong statistics behind him when he returns to his pet distance at Eagle Farm.
The Kelly Schweida-trained gelding has won eight races and is unbeaten in three starts at 1000 metres, the distance of Saturday’s Tomra Open Handicap.
Meet Mr Taylor was second at his last start behind in-form Cool Sequence who won again last week.
He also won his only start at Eagle Farm which was also at 1000m when he ran 56.14s, which stands as the track record.
The gelding is one of only five horses to get under 57 seconds for 1000m on the new Eagle Farm surface.
Schweida has always had a big opinion of Meet Mr Taylor who he is considering taking south later in the spring.
“He is a funny horse. He seems to wait until horses run up to him before decides to get going again,” Schweida said.
“Most of his racing has been at Doomben because of the Eagle Farm closure. But if he gets anywhere the time he ran last time he was at Eagle Farm he will be in it.
“Barrier eight is no help but it is only a small field. ”
Schweida said he would decide after Saturday whether Meet Mr Taylor would make a belated spring trip to Sydney or Melbourne would be decided by his performance on Saturday.
Meet Mr Taylor has won up to 1200m but Schweida feels Saturday’s distance is ideal.
Schweida will have a strong hand at Eagle Farm including Cellarmaid in the Three-Year-Old Handicap (1600m).
Cellarmaid, a last-to-first winner of a maiden at her last start, is a half sister to Schweida’s Group One placed mare Cellargirl.
“I had Cellarmaid in a race at Doomben on Wednesday but the prize money is better on Saturday and she deserves a shot,” he said.
“I think the 1600 metres and Eagle Farm should suit her and provided there is pace in the small field she should race well.”
Schweida has another interesting first starter in Petunia in the QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap (1000m).
The filly, by Sebring out of Coogee Coozifa, is a full sister to the well-performed Schweida-trained Oink.
Petunia is a Magic Millions January sales graduate and is raced by an all women syndicate.
Jockey James Orman, who became a father for the first time last week, will ride Petunia and Cellarmaid while Mark Du Plessis has the mount on Meet Mr Taylor.
