Tycoon Evie bucks family trait to plot staying course

Trainer Rex Lipp says Tycoon Evie could break the mould with her breeding background and develop into a promising stayer after a grinding win at Eagle Farm.

Tycoon Evie (outside) winning at Eagle Farm. Picture: Trackside Photography

She might be a sister to former speed machine Winning Rupert, but Rex Lipp has an idea Tycoon Evie is going to come into her own over longer trips as her career progresses.

Lipp, who won the Queensland Oaks with Tinto in 2014, is pondering a tilt on the same race with Tycoon Evie, who toughed it out to beat Jetty over 1400m at Eagle Farm.

“She’s a filly with a lot of upside, but she’s a bit of a grinder,” Lipp said of the Written Tycoon-Winaura filly.

“She’s learning. Her legs are still going everywhere.

“Because of her breeding, we need to look at black type and I’m thinking of a race like the Queensland Guineas and who knows, maybe even the Queensland Oaks.”

Tycoon Evie, who was ridden by Mark Du Plessis, was well backed to start a $5 chance after a tough second to Bleu Zebra at her previous start.

Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan bypassed his hometown Cup to keep Ligulate in Queensland and he was rewarded with another Brisbane city success on Saturday.

It was the third $42,700 payday Ligulate has had in these parts since November.

Tycoon Evie (outside) winning at Eagle Farm. Picture: Trackside Photography

“We were going to take him home for the Tamworth Cup, but the handicappers back home told us he would be looking at 60kg-plus, so I spoke to Luke Murrell (of Australian Bloodstock, which races Ligulate) and we decided to stay here,” Morgan said.

The stable plans to have new acquisition Wren’s Day, another Australian Bloodstock purchase, resume in Brisbane next Saturday with a view to a possible tilt on the Listed Goldmarket next month.

Darryl Hansen described Chivargo as “a little ripper” after she knocked favourite backers for six in the Benchmark 72 Handicap.

Chivargo has won four of five starts for Hansen after being picked up as a tried horse for a small sum out of Victoria.

“I think she cost $16,000 and she’s been a very cheap buy,” Hansen said.

Runner-up Ingear, off an easy first-up win, was backed into $1.28 at one stage before starting $1.30.

A week after opening her Saturday metropolitan account, apprentice Leah Kilner continued the momentum when she landed Tesarc a first-up winner for Toowoomba trainer Mark Currie.

Tesarc had been unplaced in six previous first-up tilts, but Currie had the gelding in good shape leading to yesterday’s assignment and Kilner’s 3kg claim provided the desired result.

While Tesarc bucked the statistics page, You Make Me Smile lived right up to his brilliant second up record when leading throughout in the Open Handicap, clocking a slick 1m 09.06s for the 1200m.

Mishani Delight winning at Eagle Farm. Picture: Trackside Photography

TRAINER COLLECTS A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY WINDFALL

Trainer Les Ross received a nice birthday present when his fillies Mishani Delight and Mishani Tulip collected $109,550 between them when running first and second in the opener at Eagle Farm.

Jimmy Orman was able to coast through the first 600m in 37.48s and save a good kick on Mishani Delight, with Mishani Tulip proving the best of her pursuers to wind up second.

Ross loves his QTIS prizemoney and with both being fillies, they collected the maximum.

“Mike Crooks gave me 30 (two-year-olds) this year and it’s good when they can come to town and go one-two,” Ross said.

“Delight actually came in a bit later than most of them. She got a spider bite which set her back a bit, but I would say she might be the best of all of them now.”

Quality Approach has the benchmark system to thank for opening his winning account in Queensland on Saturday.

Michael Costa’s stable representative Michael Morrison noted that as the winner of five races, Quality Approach might have been hard to place, but because he came in with a low rating, it presented options in benchmark races and he duly saluted in BM78 grade yesterday.

Morrison said Quality Approach was “still a couple of starts off his peak” so it was nice to pick up a race on the way through.

Steph Thornton took riding honours on the day with a winning treble on Sea Raider, Devine Grey and You Make Me Smile.