Tiger’s back

[Chief Stipe]

Tiger Tara.

By Adam Hamilton

 

The Inter Dominion champ is back.

Tiger Tara returns to racing a week earlier than expected in a quest to “sharpen-up” for a step straight back into Group 1 racing in next week’s $250,000 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.

And, in a twist of circumstances, he will be reunited with regular driver Todd McCarthy.

Lauren Tritton had been booked for the drive, but when Pizzuto scratched Majordan from Saturday night’s Group 1 Sunshine Sprint at Albion Park, McCarthy scrapped plans to head north.

“I owe Lauren one,” Pizzuto said. “I’ve promised her a drive on the horse and she’ll get one, but with Todd now staying in Sydney it’s important he drives the horse. He hasn’t been on the horse since the Miracle Mile,” Pizzuto said.

“We’ve got a Group 1 race the week after and Todd needs to get a feel for the horse this week to know where he’s at ahead of Brisbane the week after.

“I think he’s raring to go, I almost went first-up into the Blacks A Fake, but the fact this week’s race is 2300m convinced me to run here at Menangle even though he’s got the outside draw again.”

It doesn’t look a strong race and the Aussie TAB has Tiger Tara a $1.15 favourite despite the draw.

“He’s working really well and he’s had those couple of private trials at Bankstown. He’s ready. I know him, he’s ready,” Pizzuto said.

“You saw Majordan win the Len Smith and Tiger’s working better than him.”

On Majordan, Pizzuto said a poor blood test Tuesday morning forced his scratching from the Sunshine Sprint.

“He wasn’t the same horse when beaten at Menangle last week as he was winning the Len Smith first-up,” Pizzuto said. “He seemed a bit flat afterwards so I got some bloods done and they weren’t ideal. You cant travel a horse for a Group 1 unless he’s 100 per cent.

“It’s annoying because, even from the back row, I think he’d have given it a huge shake, but only if he was at his top.

“I really had to screw him right down to win that Len Smith, knowing he needed to go so hard down the back straight to break them, and that obviously took a lot of out of him.

“He’s having a little rest then I’ll wind him up again.”

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