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Another Tavistock 3YO on Classic path; Cup weights released; Iffraaj filly off the mark
Another Tavistock 3YO on Classic path
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr unearthed another potential Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) contender by Tavistock on Tuesday when Tiz Magic broke maiden ranks over 1400m at Wangaratta at first time of asking.
The Caulfield trainers produced Gunstock for an impressive victory on Sunday at Cranbourne where Bedford Estate finished runner-up, both sons of the late Cambridge Stud stallion, and now Tiz Magic has joined them on a Classic path.
"He'll head that way for sure, but in saying that he will get better again next season. Maybe a race like the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m at Flemington on October 2) could be his next start," Kent Jnr said.
Tiz Magic was tardily away from the outside gate and settled at the back of the field before improving near the turn for Damian Lane.
The gelding shouldered out of tight quarters 200m from home and rounded off strongly to score with something in hand.
"It was a terrific first-up effort and I liked the way he attacked the line, he's a horse that really wants further," Kent Jnr said.
Tiz Magic was sold through Adrian Stanley and Hannah Kettlety's Woburn Farm draft at New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sale to HBL Racing for $140,000.
The gelding was bred by dairy farmers Andrew Bryant and Dave Armstrong in conjunction with Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan.
He is a brother to the Gr.2 Championship Stakes (2100m) winner Tavidream from the family of Tarzino, a dual Group One winner by Tavistock who easily won the 2015 Gr.1 VRC Derby for Price.
"Mick Price has had a lovely affinity with the progeny of Tavistock," Kent Jnr said.
"He had Tarzino and I think Mick trained Tavistock himself for a couple of starts. We have had a lot of luck with the likes of Tavisan, Tavidance and I think Gunstock is a lovely horse for the spring as well.
"They are a really good breed. They are very genuine and very sound, clean-winded horses. We do like to train them for sure."
The forthcoming New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale on November 17 and 18 features 7 two-year-olds by Tavistock.
Cup weights released
The weights for the Gr.1 Caulfield (2400m) and Gr.1 Melbourne Cups (3200m) were released on Tuesday, with reigning Melbourne Cup champion Twilight Payment allotted 58kgs to head the weights for the two-mile feature with Irish St Leger (2800m) winner Sonnyboyliston.
The duo are both unlikely starters in the Melbourne Cup, with the Flemington showpiece attracting 124 nominated horses.
Kiwi bred star Verry Elleegant was allotted 57kgs for the Melbourne Cup, a race that is likely on her radar after a tilt at the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m).
New Zealand-trained runners The Chosen One (54kgs), Beauden (53.5kgs), Ocean Billy (53.5kgs) and Quick Thinker (53kgs) are all on-track to gain a Melbourne Cup start, should they elect to go there.
There are 26 New Zealand bred nominations in the Melbourne Cup, including include the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained Explosive Jack (54kgs), who burst on the scene winning three Derbys in Australia last season.
Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) hero Johnny Get Angry and Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) winner Kukeracha, who were part of the clean-sweep of Derbys by New Zealand bred horses across the Tasman last season, have been allotted 53kgs respectively in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
The talking point of the weights release was the allocation of 55.5kgs in both Cups to last Saturday's Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) winner Incentivise, with the progressive Peter Moody-trained stayer likely to have incurred a couple of kilos for that win.
Last year's Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet will be asked to carry the topweight of 58kg should he choose to contest the Caulfield Cup.
Iffraaj filly off the mark
The Shane Nichols-trained Iffuwish turned in a good performance to win on debut over 1100m at Wangaratta on Tuesday and shapes as a three-year-old filly worth following.
The daughter of Iffraaj put her head down where it mattered under a straight forward ride from Jamie Mott.
"She is a filly that I have got a lot of time for," Mott said.
"All of her work and her trials have been really nice without being super impressive. I haven't really asked her but she has been really honest and I have loved what she has been able to do at the jumpouts.
"I was really confident today that from a good draw we would get a good run and if she was good enough, she'd be able to win.
"The second horse made us really fight hard, but my girl was in for the fight."
Nichols purchased Iffuwish from the draft of Jamieson Park at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale for $150,000.
The filly is out of the Redoute's Choice mare Starwish, who in turn is a daughter of Group One winner Stella Cadente.
