Tavs trounces opposition in Weetwood Handicap

The Mark Currie trained Tavs took no prisoners when he trounced his opposition in the Weetwood, Toowoomba’s signature race, in the Garden City on Saturday evening.

The fact that the five-year-old son of Dundeel won by 4.60 lengths in track-record time says it all!

He simply produced a performance which none of his rivals could live with … to the point that it left the majority of what had been rated a more-than-useful field pre-race crossing the line in ignominious fashion, well and truly spread out with only two of Tavs’ thirteen opponents managing to finish within six lengths of Currie’s runaway winner.

Tavs’ new track record time was 1:10.25, beating the previous record of 1.10.69 set by Yellow Brick in the 2022 King Of The Mountain. The previous best time set in the Weetwood itself was that of the Ben Currie trained Amanaat back in the 2017/18 season.

Tavs’ win was, in fact, the third Weetwood winner saddled by the Currie family … Ben Currie having won in successive years with Col ‘N’ Lil (who dead-heated with Jumbo Prince) and Amanaat.

Tavs also provided jockey Angels Jones with a second successive win in the race. Jones won the 2024 edition aboard Hidden Wealth who also carried 53kg to victory … the not-so-subtle difference being that Tavs’ time was a full 2.23 seconds faster than last year’s winner.

Tavs’ large group of connections would have enjoyed their horse’s demolition job down the home straight and, such was Tavs’ dominance, Jones was able to join them in spirit, having the time to enjoy the experience in the moment in the saddle, as it was unfolding, and revel in joy of a stunning victory.

“That was amazing. It definitely was the funnest ride … the funnest race I have ever been able to ride in,” said Jones, expressing her pleasure at an exhilarating experience.

“When you have got that turn of foot underneath you, it really is like a race-car. You know that horse is better than the field, so I could take the gamble on the worst part of the track (Jones cut the corner at the top of the straight). He was really electric. He is definitely going places this horse,” enthused Jones.

As for Mark Currie, it was just the usual quiet response to the win.

“He’s not too bad a horse, this horse.,” said Currie.

However you want to describe it, through the rush of excitement or understatement, this was a win for the ages … one that has set a new standard in Weetwood history.