The very smart Weigall Tiger will be looking for his fifth win in a row when he runs in the City To Surf Plate (a set weights contest for three-year-olds over 1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
After kicking off his career with a third place finish as a $31 chance over 1000m back in April and then finishing fourth over 1100m in his follow-up run … when coming home less than two lengths behind the winner on both occasions … the son of Saxon Warrior was given a four-and-a-half month break from race action.
When he returned, he came back a winner, and a winner, and a winner and a winner.
Undefeated in this his second preparation, his four consecutive wins have come over 1000m, 1200m and twice over 1400m. The steady climb in distance has clearly been very much to Weigall Tiger’s liking … he hasn’t missed a beat … so Saturday’s 1600m trip should not be a worry.
In all four of those wins, which arrived over a three month period, Weigall Tiger has been partnered by apprentice Cejay Graham and horse and rider have quickly become a formidable combination.
Graham will again be in the saddle on Saturday.
“He’s just getting better and better. He’s just improved every time he has stepped out. Early on we weren’t too sure if he was going to run the trip because he wanted to overdo things a bit, but, as he has progressed through his preparation, he has just really learned how to be a racehorse,” said Graham, speaking the day after Weigall Tiger’s last win, two weeks ago.
“He is just doing everything right and I think the key is riding him with cover so he can relax, albeit he was a little bit keen yesterday … he was five weeks in-between runs.
“I’m sure at his next start (on Saturday) he won’t race as fresh, but he has just been very dominant, and he has a very good will to win.
“I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity on him in the trial (before he resumed after his spell). Most times with Kelly (Schweida), if you trial them you go through to ride them on race-day.
“The wins have come and I’ve been lucky enough that Kelly and the owners have stuck by me.
“You do feel very fortunate when you find a horse like him along your way and, hopefully, Weigall Tiger and I can continue our good relationship for the rest of this prep and keep on improving and learning together … that’s the main thing.”
Weigall Tiger is currently a $1.65 chance … a clear favourite for Saturday’s contest … but he does have something of a market rival in the form of the Helen Page trained Trifling who, at the time of writing, sits on the $3.90 mark.
Weigall Tiger beat Trifling by 1.60 lengths in their last clash over 1400m when Trifling carried 1.5kg more than Weigall Tiger.
There is a healthy 3.5kg weight swing in favour of Trifling this time over 1600m, if Michael Rodd can get down to 55kg, but the sense of authority with which Weigall Tiger has been going about his business still makes him hard to bet against.
