The Tiger Charges Into Derby Calculations
Wednesday, 22 October 2008:  | | The Tiger |
Jockey Rhys McLeod was determined not to see a repeat of his last start at Flemington, where he was outsprinted in the straight off a slowly run race.
Despite blundering at the start today, The Tiger quickly gathered pace and McLeod sent him to the lead.
Controlling the race from there, he poured the pressure on rounding the bend and kicked away, giving nothing else a chance as he strode away to an easy win.
My Scotsgrey ran on well out wide to finish second while Rebel Raider, who tracked the leader throughout, battled away to hold third with Tuscany View fourth.
The well supported and short priced favourite Memorise raced just off the lead but was under pressure a long way out and finished near the tail.
The Tiger, a son of Catbird from the Zabeel mare Tio Belle, is one of 24 horses left in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday week and one thing trainer Cindy Alderson is confident of is him running the trip.
“We've always planned to run in the Derby,” Alderson said. “He's a bit one paced but he can stay. If he can punch along that way he'll give them a run for their money.”
Both the winner and runner-up shortened sharply in markets for the Derby to $15.00 behind clear favourite Whobegotyou at $2.25.
The Tiger will have to break new ground to go on to win the Derby next start. In the 30 year history of the Geelong Classic no horse has claimed the Geelong Classic/Derby double.
Over the last 25 years, only Bounty Hawk in 1983 and Omnicorp in 1987 have raced in the Geelong Classic before winning the Derby.
Both horses, trained by Bart Cummings, placed in the Trial before winning the three-year-old classic.
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