3 minute read
Dylan Gibbons can’t help but be a little excited about emerging galloper Tavi Time as he heads toward next month’s Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Final.
He's already a clear favourite for that $1 million race on April 13 and will be one of the shortest priced favourites at Rosehill on Saturday when the gates open in the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (1400m).
Tavi Time has won six of his nine starts, three with Dylan Gibbons in the saddle, and the star apprentice says he has the sort of attitude that will take him a long way as time goes on.
"Everything that's been put in front of him he's been able to take on head first and come out on top,'' Gibbons said.
"He's not much to look at, he's skinny and tall but when you get on his back he feels like a big monster. He's blessed with a lot of ability.
"He's just a winner, he's a real racehorse."
Gibbons was unable to ride Tavi Time in the Championships Qualifier at Newcastle two weeks ago but watched on with interest as he coasted to a four length win.
He said the four-year-old, who is also Big Dance eligible via his Mudgee Cup win, was well placed by trainer Kris Lees in that race and it was an ideal start to the preparation.
"I trialled him leading into that, I would have liked to see him run in a heat during the week so I could have ridden him but I kept a close eye on him,'' he said.
"Kris found a very suitable heat for him and with the amount of ability we think he's got you probably expected to see him do that so it was no surprise to me.
"He knows how to get a horse ready for grand final day."
That grand final is still a month away and Gibbons said he likes how Saturday's race appears to set up for Tavi Time, $1.75 with TAB on Thursday, with some genuine speed engaged.
"He'll be able to hopefully tuck in somewhere and switch off, he can be a bit temperamental with horses eye-balling but we expect some speed there,'' he said.
"It's a nice tickover run for him leading to the Final and he should go there (Saturday) and be very hard to beat."
It's been a couple of months since Gibbons rode Semana to an easy win on Magic Millions Day on the Gold Coast and he's looking forward to reuniting in the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Classic (1500m).
He sat back and watched the mare score a strong win in the Triscay Stakes on February 17 and said to his eye she couldn't be going better into the race.
"It showed that riding her a bit quieter she has a lethal turn of foot and seems to be really thriving off it,'' he said.
"It was good to see her sit back and flash home and win the way she did, that should have ticked her over nicely heading into the Coolmore.
"Hopefully we can tuck in somewhere with cover and give her a chance to show that turn of foot."
Dylan Gibbons on Explosive Jack (race 5): "They sort of just zipped away from him a bit (first-up), I gave him a pass mark the other day but hoping to see a bit more of a forward showing. It's probably not far enough for him to win but I do hope he runs a bit better, a smaller field will give him a chance to be not far off the leaders and build into it when he needs."
