Kiwi import Tigertiger (NZ) (Zed) landed the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on Saturday, his biggest success to date as he soars through the grades.
A maiden when he arrived in Australia after 11 starts in New Zealand, Tigertiger now has five wins to his credit in nine starts for Mornington trainer Rob Blacker.
Ridden by Daniel Moor, Tigertiger, a son of outstanding staying influence Zed, came from last before the turn in the 2800m contest to register a neck win over Skelm (Animal Kingdom) with Long Arm (Rock of Gibraltar) a further 2-¼ lengths away third.
Tigertiger has an enviable record for Blacker as along with the five victories he has a further four seconds and a third in his ten Australian starts.
Blacker said Tigertiger arrived in his stable through a close association with the gelding’s former trainer, and current owner, Ian Shaw through his friendship with Shaw’s son Adam.
“Ian’s a vet, he trained this horses mother (Hoorang) and won a New Zealand Cup (Gr.2, 3200m) with her,” Blacker said.
“He had about four in work, and we’d been watching this horse race over there and saying ‘look at the action on this’ and something happened.
“They were going to send him somewhere for a bit of education, and I rang Adam and said get your dad to send him to me for education.
“It took a bit of negotiating, the Shaw family, they’ve had horses their whole life, so to get them to trust me with their horse, I’m very, very happy, very grateful.”
Blacker said Tigertiger had possibly earned himself a break having originally been earmarked for the Gr.2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville in March.
Instead, Blacker favours bringing the gelding back for a winter campaign in the Banjo Patterson Series.
Rising to the 2800m journey for the first time, Moor was mindful of getting Tigertiger to switch off so he would run the journey right out.
“I was ultra, ultra-patient on him just to make sure he’d run it right out and I thought I might have got there a bit soon, but because he had fresh legs and had done no work in the run, he was strong to the line,” Moor said.
Tigertiger has now won A$239,666 in prizemoney and shapes as one of the more progressive stayers in Australia.
Blacker placed the gelding to perfection, winning the Bagot on the 54kgs minimum, a race in which the top-weighted horses have been predominantly brought undone over the past two decades
