Megablast on a mission
Events over the next 10 days will determine whether Nigel Tiley will be back in Melbourne in the spring.
The Pukekohe Park trainer is currently putting the finishing touches on Megablast, who will make his Australian debut at Moonee Valley today in the hands of Ben Melham.
“It’s a learning curve and we’re here to see how he copes with the travel and to this point he has coped very well,” Tiley said.
“He’s travelled nicely and he enjoyed a working gallop with one of Trent Busuttin’s horses this morning at Cranbourne.
“We want to see where he sits over here and if he happened to be dominant then we would be looking at bringing him back over in the spring.”
Megablast was in fine touch during his last preparation with wins and placings in the Group 1 Avondale Cup and the Group 3 Waikato Cup. He also finished fourth in both the Group 1 Auckland Cup and the Group 3 Counties Cup.
The grey son of Shinko King re- sumed last month with a nine length drubbing of his open handicap rivals over a mile to book his overseas passage.
“How he raced at Ellerslie was going to decide where we were going to go with him, whether we were going to stay in New Zealand and aim him at a couple of those winter handicaps or, if he looked impressive, we'd put him on the plane. He couldn't have been more impressive so here we are,” Tiley said.
“He’s as well as I can get him so I would definitely like to think he’s going to acquit himself well and then we’ll back him up at Flemington on Saturday week.”
Meanwhile, Megablast’s former stablemate Oscar Eight won the fourth leg of the Golden Horseshoe series on debut in Singapore last weekend.
Re- named Mr Hanks, the son of Showcasing was stakes placed for Tiley and ended his brief New Zealand career with a close seventh from the outside gate in the Karaka Million. Wellington breeding and racing partners David Price and Mark Freeman are on a roll. They enjoyed further success at Whanganui on Thursday with impressive debut winner Hermanito, a brother by Shocking to their last- start Group 2 Brisbane Cup winner Chocante. Trained by Janelle Millar at New Plymouth, Hermanito strolled in by three and a half lengths over 1600 metres under rider Johnathan Parkes. His older sibling Chocante, who is prepared by Stephen Marsh, has returned home for a break ahead of a proposed trip to the Melbourne spring carnival. Multiple black type placegetter Dontpokethetiger will make her Australian debut at the Sunshine Coast tomorrow. The Peter Rudkinprepared filly will be ridden in a class two handicap over 1400 metres by Robbie Fradd. She will have to shoulder the topweight of 60kg and give four kilos to fellow New Zealandtrained three- year- old Save The Date. Dontpokethetiger, who has six stakes placings to her credit, will be on trial for a crack at the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas on July 1. Strapping four- year- old Sensible Princess looks set for a swift run through the grades. She won for the second time in her four- start career when successful in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race at Whanganui on Thursday in the hands of Lisa Allpress. Her victory came off the back of a resuming fourth in trying conditions at Otaki last month. “It was a month since she struck that deep track first- up,” trainer Fraser Auret said. “She was pretty vulnerable and she’s still got a lot to learn, but she has got a bit of class.” Alibi’s camp is confident heading into tomorrow’s S$ 500,000 Patron’s Bowl at Kranji in Singapore. A fortnight ago, the Darci Brahma four- year- old won the Stewards’ Cup, the first leg of the Singapore Four- Year- Old Challenge. “The horse has done really well since his last- start win,” assistant trainer Michael White said. “He’s stepping up to the mile for the first time, which I am really excited about and it looks to be a really good race.” Jockey Glen Boss said he also expects Alibi to give a good account of himself tomorrow. “He puts himself in the race and gives himself every opportunity to win by his racing style. He can reel off some really quick sectionals late. He’s determined and horses really struggle to get past him. “He’s in great form. Expect another good run.”