Tatts Tiara 2016: David Pfieffer eyes double with Cradle Me in Group 1 feature at Eagle Farm

FIELD: HAVING burst one bubble already this carnival, trainer David Pfeiffer is plotting the downfall of another big name with Cradle Me in Saturday’s Group 1 Tatts Tiara.

Zac Purton will return from Hong Kong to stick with Cradle Me on Saturday. Picture: Jono Searle

HAVING burst one bubble already this carnival, trainer David Pfeiffer is plotting the downfall of another big name as he contemplates Group 1 glory with Cradle Me in Saturday’s Tatts Tiara.

Cradle Me was a dominant winner of the Dane Ripper Stakes at her last start, with odds-on pop Ghisoni among those in her wake.

She is out to be the third horse in four years to complete the Dane Ripper-Tiara double, but Pfeiffer knows a fit and well Azkadellia will be hard to beat.

“I think you have to be forgiving of Azkadellia’s Stradbroke run,” Pfieffer said. “You can’t deny what she’s done already. She’s the proven horse in the field and clearly the one to beat. From our point of view, you can look for chinks and they’re all there to be beaten.”

Pfeiffer was a little frustrated at drawing gate 13 on Wednesday, but if the track plays similarly to Stradbroke day, out in the middle of the track may be the place to be by that stage of the day.

“She drew one last time and got the favours,” he said. “This time we will most probably have to go back and hopefully the big field generates good speed and she can use that turn of foot.

“She’s had 50 starts, which is a pretty good innings for any racehorse, let alone a seven-year-old mare who is right at the top of her game. You don’t read about too many seven-year-old mares hitting career best form, but here she is.”

TATTS TIARA

Eagle Farm, Saturday

1 AZKADELLIA C Maher N Hall 11 57kg

2 DANISH TWIST K Lees H Bowman 1 57kg

3 PRECIOUS GEM H Dwyer B Shinn 4 57kg

4 CRADLE ME D Pfieffer Z Purton 13 57kg

5 MISS COVER GIRL K Schweida D Browne 9 57kg

6 JESSY BELLE L Oliver C Symons 7 57kg

7 SULTRY FEELING J Cummings J Orman (a) 14 57kg

8 PRESS REPORT L Curtis R Wiggins 5 57kg

9 SCARLET BILLOWS D Weir J Hill 10 57kg

10 ECHO GAL G Waterhouse Ms THarrison 3 57kg

11 ARTISTRY P & P Snowden K McEvoy 12 57kg

12 PALAZZO PUBBLICO M Smith M Cahill 6 57kg

13 ONEMOREZETA K Lees J Lloyd 15 57kg

14 BEATNIKS S O’dea P Hammersley 2 57kg

15 BLUEBERRY HILL L Birchley J Byrne 8 55.5kg

16 MY POPPETTE R Smerdon C Parnham 16 55.5kg

BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS

Precious Gem will be chasing another Group 1 win on Saturday. Picture: Dean Martin

Downloading delivers on debut

DOWNLOADING, a three-quarter-brother to champion sprinter Buffering, made a winning debut at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.

The son of Love Conquers All did his older brother proud with a tough all-the-way effort, staving off challengers in the run to the line.

“There’s a fair bit of upside to this fellow,” trainer Rob Heathcote said.

Meetings move to protect track

THE Brisbane Racing Club has moved three upcoming midweek meetings from Eagle Farm to other venues in a strategy aimed at preserving the long term welfare of the track.

BRC chief executive David Whimpey said some would view the move as the club lacking confidence in the new track, but insisted it was a move designed to give the new turf every opportunity to mature and bed down properly.

“Over the next 12 months, it is important that it be used as a premium venue for Saturday meetings and appropriate therefore that we protect it while the new turf settles in,” he said.

“We feel it is in the best long term interests of the track to protect it in its infancy, while still using it as scheduled on the premium day of wagering.”

Originally published as Tatts Tiara 2016: David Pfieffer eyes double with Cradle Me in Group 1 feature at Eagle Farm