Sunshine Coast trainer Jason McLachlan says that Facile Tigre is spot on for a first up tilt at the Group 1 $500,000 The Distinctive Homes Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Trainer Jason McLachlan, (right) says that Facile Tigre is spot on for the Goodwood at Morphettville. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Facile Tigre showed during the Melbourne Autumn Carnival that he wasn’t far off a Group 1 win with a flashing second to Mrs Onassis in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 23.
That second followed on from last year when Facile Tigre was third to fellow Queenslander Woorim in the same race.
McLachlan has freshened up Facile Tigre and the six year old looked good in winning a 1000m barrier trial at Werribee on April 15.
“I couldn’t be happier with the horse.
“He came through the Oakleigh Plate in great shape and we’ve set him for this race,” McLachlan
“The horse is spot-on and we’ve all had something on him at the double figure odds.”
Facile Tigre hasn’t won since completing a winning double during the 2011 Melbourne Spring Carnival and seems to run his best races the Melbourne way of going.
Trainer Stuart Web is banking on jockey Michelle Payne getting down to 52.5kg so she can maintain her association with the Group 1 winning mare Yosei.
“Michelle says she’ll make it so all I can do is trust her,” Webb said.
Payne has combined with Yosei to win three Group 1s and the pair showed that they weren’t far off another with an eye catching third to Platelet in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Classic (1200m) at Morphettville on April 27.
Webb can’t believe how well Yosei is weighted under the set weights and penalties conditions of the Goodwood and even though she is a multiple Group 1 winner, she has been lightly weighted because her wins were outside the specified time limit.
“You get 3kg penalty for a Group 1 win, but her Group 1’s fall outside the prescribed dates, so she gets in on the minimum, which is fantastic for a small mare like her,” Webb said.
With one run back from a spell when third to Platelet in the Sportingbet Classic, Webb says that Yosei is probably now looking for 1400m.
“If this race was 1400-metres you would be declaring her, but at 1200-metres she is always a risk,” Webb said.
“But, I’ve kept the speed in her legs knowing she has to go to Brisbane after this and run in two, possibly three 1400-metre races.”
Webb is eyeing off a second win in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 22 after taking out the fillies and mares Winter Carnival feature two years ago in a narrow win over Beaded.
The Caulfield trainer is also considering running the tough mare in the Group 1 $650,000 Carlton Mid Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at Doomben on May 25 and the Group 1 $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 8.
The early market for the Goodwood has the Peter Moody trained Moment Of Change at $2.40 with Platelet the next in the betting at $7.50 with Yosei firming into $11 ahead of Angelic Light and Facile Tigre at $12.
