Tavistock Gets Another Run In Melbourne
- Sunday, 28 February 2010 03:30
Tavistock's owners have cancelled his flight home from Melbourne and decided to have another go at a Group race there despite his disappointing effort in the Futurity Stakes.
Tavistock, who races as Lord Tavistock in Australia, could not sprint when winner Typhoon Tracy applied the pressure in the home straight and finished fifth of the six runners in the Group One event.
"We knew we are up against some class horses but we were hoping for a bit more from him," trainer Andrew Campbell said.
Campbell and the owners had decided on Saturday night to send the horse back to New Zealand but, after seeing that the Montjeu gelding was fine on Sunday morning, they had another chat and changed their minds.
"When we thought about it, he was not suited to Caulfield as he takes a while to wind up when he sprints, so we have decided to run in the Blamey Stakes at Flemington in a fortnight," Campbell told NZPA.
The Blamey is a Group Two race over 1600 metres.
"It's worth $A300,000, yet if we go home we are running for $200,000 in a Group One," Campbell said.
"The long straight at Flemington will suit him better and he will probably be ridden colder."
Jason Waddell, who rode him on Saturday, returned home on Sunday and had not been canvassed for his availability.
As a three-year-old, Tavistock was based in Melbourne with Mick Price and had four starts for the trainer.
He won an open three-year-old handicap and ran second in the Vain Stakes.
He was given a long spell after finishing down the track in the 2008 Caulfield Guineas and returned to New Zealand to be trained by Campbell who has trained him to two Group One wins.
