The lure of a prestigious north Queensland race is likely to mean three-year-old Tyzone will have his last southern area start this campaign at the Gold Coast.
Tyzone is rated the best horse to come out of Far North Queensland in many years and will be looking to make it two wins from three south east Queensland starts in the Three-Year-Old Hcp (1200m) on Saturday.
The gelding was with Roy Chillemi at Atherton when he won five races but has been with Lawrie Mayfield-Smith at Eagle Farm for the past six weeks.
Tyzone won at Doomben three weeks ago but Mayfield-Smith is resigned to the gelding heading back home.
“I don’t even think we have started to tap Tyzone’s ability. He is a very nice horse who is capable of winning a stakes race in this area,” Mayfield Smith said.
“I have no doubt he can eventually win up to 1600 metres and I thought he might have made a winter carnival three year old.”
Tyzone is raced by a syndicate headed by Cairns racing identity Tom Hedley, an old school friend of Mayfield Smith.
“Like all north Queenslanders they are very keen to win the Cleveland Bay Handicap at Townsville with Tyzone. Everyone in north Queensland likes to chase the race and there is a lot of prestige about it,” Mayfield-Smith said.
“I think Tom has won about six of them.””
Mayfield-Smith hopes he will get Tyzone back next campaign.
“Good horses are hard to come by and he certainly falls into that bracket,” Mayfield-Smith said.
