A life-changing journey came to an end for high profile young training couple Correy and Samantha Grenfell with the recent retirement of superstar two-time Group 1 winner Tiggerlong Tonk.
Tiggerlong Tonk ran fourth in the G1 Melbourne Cup last year and the Grenfells had hoped the remarkable 42-race winner could end his career in a blaze of glory in his second crack at the world’s greatest race.
But it wasn’t to be, with the son of 2015 Melbourne Cup hero Dyna Double One retired after running second to Cup favourite Aston Rupee in both the G1 Topgun and G3 Shootout, leaving a chasmic void in the Grenfells’ Anakie kennel.
“We received the last of ‘Tonk’s’ prizemoney last night, sadly,” Correy said ruefully.
WATCH: Tiggerlong Nibel (1) continue the promising start to his career with a runaway 30.10sec victory at The Meadows on November 17, his third win from nine starts.
But the ‘Tiggerlong’ influence is likely to remain strong as Tiggerlong Dot’s second litter, to Fabregas, embark on their careers, with Grenfell revealing two are showing great potential.
One of the leading lights from the February 2020 mating, Tiggerlong Nibel, was strongly fancied to claim a third straight win on tonight at The Meadows, but has been scratched from Race 2, a Mixed 6/7 Grade final at 7.18pm.
Tiggerlong Nibel has won three of his nine starts, including an emphatic 7.5L heat victory, where he clocked 30.10sec from Box 1 as $1.60 favourite, the quickest of the three qualifiers.
Litter sister Tiggerlong Water, the winner of two from seven, also qualified after running a close third in her heat at $20, and she’s an $18 chance with TAB from Box 8.
“There are two in the litter that ability-wise are exceptional, Tiggerlong Nibel and Tiggerlong Gas,” Grenfell said.
“We received the last of ‘Tonk’s’ prizemoney last night, sadly.”
“Tiggerlong Nibel is still learning but he’s extremely strong and I think he’ll go further than the ‘500’.
“Tiggerlong Gas has high speed like ‘Tonk’ but he’s learning as well and is a bit inconsistent. He’s immature and can be a bit stupid, but once he puts it altogether there’s no reason he can’t be a topliner.”
Wagga Wagga breeder Mick Finn has also mated Tiggerlong Dot with Feral Franky for her third litter, whelped in January, which are also destined to find their way to the Grenfells.
Meanwhile, Tiggerlong Tonk has embarked on his stud career, at a $2200 service fee, with Grenfell proudly reporting he has his first brood in pup.
