Toffee Tongue scores sweet victory in Sky High

[Wandering Eyes]

Regally bred filly Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock) added another Group win to her tally on Saturday when taking out the Gr.3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.

A winner of last year’s Gr.1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville, Toffee Tongue was third-up this preparation after finishing unplaced last start in the Gr.1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), though trainer Chris Waller said she was building up to Saturday’s winning performance.

“I think she just found the track a little bit wet last start,” Waller said. “Third-up last year she was beaten a nose by Verry Elleegant in the Turnbull and prior to that was her three-year-old year.

“She’s done a great job and it was a good field, the pressure was on throughout so she’s a decent horse.”

Waller is yet to lock in future targets for the four-year-old mare, though has several options.

“I guess we’ll consider the BMW,” he said. “Whether it comes too early for her I’m not too sure, but that is certainly the race we will be looking at.

“I was sort of thinking maybe a Doomben Cup type race for her, but today’s race was a very strong race so maybe we might just raise the bar a little bit.”

Jockey Tom Marquand was equally impressed with Toffee Tongue’s effort.

“She really pulled it out of the bag nicely for me there,” Marquand said. “I didn’t think I had won on the line but she was gutsy and stuck her head down in the right place.

“I was really happy with her how she jumped. She was able to get a nice tow into the race off James (McDonald, on Mustajeer) and at the bottom of the straight I was pretty conscious of getting moving early enough knowing that it was her first go at 2000m this time around.

“She took a bit of shaking up. She was all out to the line.”

Out of winning Zabeel mare Bagalollies, Toffee Tongue is a full sister to Group One winner and former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther (NZ), Group One performer Milseain (NZ) and Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Gobstopper (NZ).

Toffee Tongue was bought by bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne out of Highden Park’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale Book 1 draft for Jonathan Munz’s Pinecliff Racing.

Pinecliff Racing are also in the ownership group of Playoffs (NZ) (Tavistock) who won the opening race on the Moonee Valley card.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained gelding is bred on the same Tavistock – Zabeel cross as Toffee Tongue, a nick that has produced eight Group winners.

Playoffs was bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan and was also purchased by Hawthorne at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales when consigned by Cambridge Stud.

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