A frustrating campaign will be all but forgotten if Tavi Time can defend his title in the Group Three Summer Cup at Randwick on Boxing Day.
Awkward draws and unsuitable track conditions have thwarted the six-year-old at his past three starts, significantly when he struck a heavy track in The Gong (1600m) and again last time out when he got back from a tricky draw in The Ingham (1600m) and was doing his best work late.
“Things just haven’t been going right for him,” trainer Kris Lees said.
“He was a bit luckless in the Big Dance. The rain came before The Gong, and he stepped slow in The Ingham.
“He is running off good sectionals but to no avail.”
Tavi Time is one of 11 acceptors for Friday’s feature with the field headed by Ingham runner-up Estadio Mestalla and 2023 ATC Australian Derby winner Major Beel.
The Newcastle gelding stepped up from benchmark company to capture the race 12 months ago and has since won the Scone Cup (1600m) and finished second in the Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m).
That has earned him three kilos extra on Friday, but Lees is adamant the horse is going at least as well as he was at the corresponding stage last year and will appreciate a return to a middle distance.
“He goes back to 2000 metres, which he hasn’t been to since last year’s win,” Lees said.
The only other horse to win the Summer Cup twice in the past 20 years has been I’m Imposing, who managed the feat in 2013-14.
Lees also entered last start winner Kind Words for the Summer Cup but elected not to pay up and the mare will instead tackle either the TAB Handicap (2000m) at Randwick a day later, or the Group 3 Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford on Sunday.
“She’s a mare in form. She had been building towards that win last start, and it was a good confidence boost for her.”
