The Group 1, $500,000, Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1350m) brings down the curtain on the Group 1 schedule for each domestic racing season and is inevitably targeted by stables with quality racemares still striving for victory at the highest level despite otherwise admirable race records.
It’s not by coincidence that at least four of the 16-horse field also ran in the ATC Coolmore Classic — the prototype to elite fillies and mares events staged in Australia — at Rosehill Gardens in March and arguably represent the key to an event with the exact same profile and standing.
Danish Twist, In Her Time, French Emotion and Sold For Song all find themselves in opposition to each other once again after their previous encounter in the Coolmore when Danish Twist did best of the quartet to finish third.
The Kris Lees-trained mare only just failed in a three-way photo-finish to take out one of the most coveted events staged during the traditional Sydney autumn racing carnival, performing with distinction in the feature.
It’s also worth noting that Danish Twist went very close to landing the Group 1 VRC Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington in the spring and is clearly well up to the standard required to win the Tatts Tiara.
With a near-perfect preparatory effort in Sydney at the beginning of the month having her primed to turn in another forward performance in the same company, Danish Twist looks to represent outstanding value at her current odds of $17.00 (BlueBet.com.au).
BlueBet’s $3.20 favourite for the event, In Her Time is also obviously well up to the task going on past performance in the same division.
The Broadmeadows-based racemare was another to be responsible for one of the runs of the race in this season’s Coolmore Classic, finishing just under three lengths adrift of the winner Silent Sedation in fifth position.
As her only two outings since the Coolmore have been a close-up fifth in the Doomben 10,000 and an exceptional second in the Stradbroke Handicap, it’s ultimately safe to suggest that In Her Time is also among the leading candidates for Saturday’s highlight.
BlueBet CEO Michael Sullivan reports that In Her Time has been well backed to give trainer Ben Smith his maiden Group 1 victory. The mare was well supported at big odds when finishing runner-up to Impending in the Stradbroke two weeks ago and Sullivan says punters have buttered up again.
“She has drawn awkwardly,” observed Sullivan, “but she has the early speed to overcome that and has been backed from $3.40 to $3.20 in early betting.
“She looked home in the Stradbroke and back against her own sex here, she looks very hard to beat.”
The Dane Ripper form over the same course and distance at Doomben a fortnight ago should prove to be the other most reliable guide.
The winner, Prompt Response, and minor placegetter, Bonny O’Reilly, clash again, while the runner-up My True Love is the fifth of five emergencies.
BlueBet.com.au have Prompt Response on the second line of betting at $6.00 and the in-form Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott trained racemare seems certain to take the power of beating again.
Sullivan confirmed that there had been support at longer odds for Prompt Response ($6.50 to $6.00), as well as Nancy ($12.00), the ride of evergreen jockey Jeff Lloyd.
In tomorrow’s other feature races at Doomben, Sullivan said that all the money had once again been for the southerners.
