Tambos faces big weight test
Tambos faces big weight test
Premier trainer Georgie Holt believes smart sprinter Tambo’s Justice can
win with 62.5kg at Cluden Park on Friday but fears the gelding will be
weighted out of races in the North.
Tambo’s Justice landed Holt her biggest win when he claimed the prized
Cleveland Bay Hcp at Cluden in early August.
He carried just 53.5kg in the feature sprint victory, his eighth career win,
but has paid the penalty for success with 9kg more in Friday’s TTC
Horse Of The Year Open Hcp (1200m).
Only Northern Pride, the 2024 Cleveland Bay Hcp winner will carry more
with 63.5kg.
Holt, who claimed her third Townsville trainers’ premiership this year,
said Tambo’s Justice had bounced back since his last start sixth in the
Cairns Newmarket on August 28.
Obviously it’s been a targeted prep for the bigger sprints but he’s done
extremely well since Cairns and he’ll run very well,” Holt said.
“He just didn’t handle the track in Cairns and is much better back here
on his home track.
“He’s pulled up well and is still fresh and has won with big weights before
when he was coming through the grades.
“Drawing the outside in the field of eight hasn’t made it any easier but it
is what it is.
“Obviously the weight is disappointing. You win that one feature and
you’re crucified weight wise for the rest of your career in the north.
“If he was to win on Friday he’ll probably have to have a break and go
back south because I don’t know what we’d do with him otherwise.
“It’s making it hard to continue to race good young horses in the North.
That’s what we’ve been saying about the 2yos every year.
“If they run straight and win a few two-year-old races they can’t make it
as 3yos because they’re weighted out of it and they’re not good enough
to win in the south.
“One of the biggest things I’ve had with the handicappers over the past
two or three years is what do you want us to do with these horses.
“It has been one of the factors in us moving south at the end of the year
as well because we make most of our money out of the two-year-old
season.”
Holt will also run Colleano in Friday’s open and 2024 2YO Classic
winner Dance For Me Randy in the Ladbrokes BM60 Hcp (1200m).
Colleano, with 54kg and jockey Ash Butler in the saddle, is coming off a
last start win at the Cairns carnival but rises to open class.
Dance For Me Randy has had two runs back from a lengthy spell
following a tendon injury for fast finishing fourths over 1000m.
Holt considers the step up to 1200m ideal but is concerned about his
wide draw in gate 11.
“We’ve taken it steady with him. His two runs over the 1000m have been
very good and I was looking forward to the 1200m but now I have my
doubts from the gate,” Holt said.
Holt and jockey husband Aidan have announced plans to relocate the
family to the Sunshine Coast at the end of the year.
The three-time premiership winner said the stable was still at full
capacity but would gradually reduce numbers close to their departure.
“The plan was to slowly whittle numbers down but every week a truck
pulls in with more horses. At the moment I’m juggling horses every
week. If I had 30 boxes they’d be full. I’m up to 22.
“We’re also getting calls from owners who want to give us horses down
south. I don’t want to get to the 22 we have here but it looks like we’ll
have upwards of 10 with the four or five we take down from here.”