Tiger Shark lowered the colours of some Stradbroke Handicap fancies with a boilover victory in the Mick Dittman Plate at Eagle Farm.
Tiger Shark upsets her rivals in the Mick Dittman Plate at Eagle Farm. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography
Nat McCall is Queensland’s giant-killing trainer again after Tiger Shark bounced back to her best to cause a Mick Dittman Plate boilover at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The Sunshine Coast trainer is a Stradbroke Handicap winner and potentially has her best horse since River Lad won Queensland’s greatest race a decade ago after Tiger Shark bounced back to form seven days after turning in a flat first-up performance.
Owned by Boost Juice tycoon Jeff Allis and wife Janine, who has also starred on Shark Tank, Tiger Shark upstaged her more fancied rivals such as Skirt The Law, Party For Two, Abounding and Cifrado in a strong winter carnival marker.
While her $26 victory pales in comparison to River Lad’s 2014 Stradbroke Handicap effort, McCall heaped praise on the filly.
Despite knocking off some Stradbroke fancies on Saturday, the Sunshine Coast trainer said she would be highly unlikely to head down a path to the $3m classic.
“It wasn’t her last time around, before that she had been amazing when hindered by bad gates the whole prep,” McCall said.
Allis has previously said winning with Tiger Shark feels better than any business deal he has ever inked and was a notable onlooker at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
“It is really good to get some black-type on board, because she really deserves it,” McCall said.
“(Allis) hasn’t been here for her last couple of starts, it is good to have him in the stable.”
Nat McCall is unlikely to target the Stradbroke Handicap with Tiger Shark. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography
In a strong on-speed performance, boom apprentice Bailey Wheeler was cool, calm and collected while the race unfolded around him.
“I was tossing up (on Saturday morning) that maybe 1200m might be more her go where she can get more of a cruisy go of it, it could suit her,” McCall said.
“She is a very relaxed filly and she is very adaptable, we can use her speed if we need and that was the plan.
“We wanted to make them work a bit to get across and then when Bailey asked her to come back to him, she did straight away.”
Rob Heathcote reported he was thrilled with the run of Magic Millions 3YO Guineas winner Abounding, who will press on to the Gold Coast Guineas for a rematch with Tiger Shark in two weeks time, which has been moved to the Sunshine Coast.
Tony Gollan said race favourite Skirt The Law pulled up “very ordinary” following her ninth placing.
“She’s very short in her action and had a big blow, we have the vets going over her this afternoon so hopefully everything makes sense in 48 hours.”