Options in Melbourne and at home in Tasmania remain open for tough gelding Tshahitsi after his front-running win in the Listed John Dillon Stakes at Caulfield.
Tshahitsi won the Listed Winter Championship Final at Flemington during a successful Victorian winter campaign last year and the gelding has stepped up again to claim another stakes win in his second start of his current Victorian campaign on Saturday.
After a pleasing return for fourth in the Group Three Standish Handicap on January 1, the Chris Crook and Imogen Miller-trained Tshahitsi ($3.90) took up the running in Saturday’s 1400m race and continued to rally in the straight to beat favourite Dollar For Dollar ($3.10) by three quarters of a length.
Wyndspelle ($6.50) was the same margin away third.
“He’s a ripper,” Miller said.
“He wasn’t going to let that other horse get to him. He just sticks his little head out and off he goes.
“He’s so tough.”
Miller said they would wait to see how six-year-old Tshahitsi came through Saturday’s victory before deciding his next targets.
There are weight-for-age races during the Tasmanian summer carnival while there are also options in Melbourne if he remains in Victoria.
“We’ll just see how he gets through this run and make a decision from there,” Miller said.
“We really don’t know. I’m just rapt with how he went today.”
Among the options could be the Group One CF Orr Stakes over the same course and distance in two weeks if connections decided to throw him in the deep end.
“I think it would be talked about,” jockey Brendon McCoull said.
“We don’t want to get carried away, but you could put him in the race and have a look (at nominations).”
Tshahitsi took his record to 12 wins from 22 starts.
“He never lets you down,” McCoull said.
“You know he’s going to put in a good effort. He’s one of those rare horses that just gives you his all every time.”
