Kelly Doughty is hopeful Tierqualo can make up for a frustrating winter so far when he takes aim at Saturday’s Listed Ascot Handicap at Eagle Farm.
Tierqualo will wear blinkers for the first time in the 1200m race when he lines up against talented sprinter Essington who heads the market.
Tierqualo has raced just twice this campaign and Doughty said a combination of wet tracks, bad barriers and also missing a scheduled start had “mucked up” the four-year-old’s preparation at times.
The son of Sequalo was set for the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich three weeks ago but Doughty’s hopes sunk when the sprinter came up with the outside barrier for the provincial feature.
Tierqualo finished fourth in the Eye Liner, 1-1/4 lengths from the winner Adnocon, and Doughty has since freshened him up for Saturday’s assignment.
“I’m very happy with him, I was going to go to the Glasshouse with him last Saturday but it turned out being a slow track and I didn’t even bother accepting for the race,” she said.
“His preparation has been mucked around a little due to different things but he races well when he is fresh so I don’t mind waiting for this race on Saturday.
“The three weeks between runs will suit him so I’m happy we’ve gone this way.”
Doughty rates Essington, the $1.75 favourite, as the horse to beat with the Darryl Hansen-trained sprinter finishing 2-1/2 lengths in front of Tierqualo when they met in the Listed Falvelon Quality (1200m) in February.
Tierqualo’s lone stakes success came in the Listed Brisbane Day Plate (1350m) in April last year.
Despite not getting the cash in the Eye Liner, Doughty wasn’t disappointed with Tierqualo’s performance.
“He had a visitor’s draw and he didn’t really handle the Ipswich turns,” Doughty said.
“He was pretty awkward around those turns and he hadn’t been to Ipswich before. At about the 300-metre mark it looked like he would run about seventh but he came again and was only beaten 1-1/4 lengths.”
Essington returned from a spell with a 1-3/4-length win with 59kg in the Rockhampton Newmarket (1300m) on June 23.
Hansen elected to go to the Ascot Handicap with Essington instead of heading to Grafton next Wednesday for the Listed Ramornie Handicap over the same distance.
AAP TURF
