Victoria’s Darren Weir is keeping his ego firmly in check ahead of Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara 2014 knowing full well how tough the assignment will be for his hopeful Lonhspresso.
Lonhspresso goes up in class and distance for the 2014 Tattersall's Tiara on the weekend. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
This weekend the four-year-old daughter of star Aussie sire Lonhro, races in a top class field of Group 1 winners and performers at Eagle Farm in the $500,000 Group 1 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m).
Sydney mares dominate the Tattersall’s Tiara betting markets this year including $4.80 co-favourites Cosmic Endeavour (Gai Waterhouse) and Red Tracer (Chris Waller), the latter having won the last Group 1 of the season last winter.
Lonhspresso meanwhile pays $19 for a successful Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival raid, a price Weir doesn’t dispute.
“She’s taking on some great mares,” he told the Herald Sun.
“She’d have to put in her career best effort and then that may not get her there anyway.”
Having just her 12th career run there’s no denying she’s up in class notably in her first elite level test.
The $80,000 buy from the 2010 William Inglis and Son Australian Weanling and Breeding Stock Sale does however come off some promising form back home and has been set for this race.
Making both her Queensland and Group 1 debut here, Lonhspresso also goes up to the 1400m for the first time but is in peak condition for the acid test.
She has had three earlier runs this time in the best of which was a win over Le Bonsir second-up in the Listed The Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington on May 24.
Last start on June 6 she raced at Swan Hill in the Golden Topaz (1200m) finishing second to Don’t Get Excited.
While disappointed she wasn’t able to post another win that day, Weir decided to press on with Tiara plans hoping his lightly raced mare can bounce back.
“She had her chance but she had to carry a bit of weight (57kg),” Weir said.
“It was a race to top her off in fitness for this and she ran well enough to still go.
“If she gets the right run and things work out then I think she can run well as she’s in the right condition to do so.”
Ben Melham retains the ride for the Group 1, the duo drawn in barrier seven.
Melham rode her for her last piece of heavy trackwork at Warrnambool on Tuesday, work that impressed Weir.
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