Manawatu owner Ray Scott sells most of the colts he breeds but has no regrets refusing the huge money offered for his star galloper Tit For Taat as a three-year-old.
"We turned down a lot of money for him but he has been well worth keeping," Scott said after Tit For
Taat landed his fourth group one win in the $100,000 Telegraph Handicap (1200m).
"He's just given us so many thrills and you don't often get two good ones," he said.
Scott rated the Telegraph win as Tit For Taat's best.
"It's probably the biggest thrill he has given us because he had to carry such a big weight."
Tit For Taat lumped the topweight of 58.5kg - making it one of the best weight-carrying performances in a major sprint in New Zealand for many years.
It matched the feat of Blue Blood, who carried 58.5kg (on a 47.5 minimum) in the 1976 Telegraph.
Mr Tiz also carried 58.5kg when he won his third Railway Handicap at Ellerslie in 1991 and Courier Bay had 58kg when he won the 1988 Telegraph.
The winning time of 1 minute 7.64 seconds was also remarkable considering the strong southerly headwind.
Ridden superbly by Michael Walker, Tit For Taat sustained a powerful finish to grab the honours by a long neck from Egyptian Raine with a nose to Fair Embrace.
Tit For Taat has now recorded 13 wins from 37 career starts and has boosted his stakes to $545,101. His other group one victories have been the Two Thousand Guineas, Bayer Classic and Captain Cook Stakes. In the latter he dead-heated with Elevenses.
For the 18-year-old Walker it was the fifth group one win. He was also aboard Tit For Taat in his Captain Cook victory and his other group one successes were in the Wellington Cup on Smiling Like and both the Manawatu and Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes races aboard Grout.
Walker, who has had more success than most jockeys getting Tit For Taat away well from the barrier, always had the gelding nicely placed and bided his time before mounting his challenge.
He now looks set to retain the mount when Tit For Taat contests two further group one races, the $100,000 Waikato Draught Sprint at Te Rapa on February 8 and the $100,000 Family Hotel Weight-For-Age at Otaki on February 20.
Plans beyond that are up in the air, with trainer Wayne Herbert considering options in Singapore and Australia.
Herbert said muscle problems had prevented Tit For Taat producing his best on previous trips overseas.
"But we think we have got that pretty much under control now," he said.
The Singapore mission would be the S$1 million ($1.07 million) Krisflyer Sprint (1200m) on May 17 and Herbert is still considering Australian options.
Tit For Taat's victory continues a remarkable season for his sire, Faltaat, who just missed out on a group one double for the day when Rosina Lad finished second in the Thorndon Mile.
Faltaat has had the most stakes wins - seven - of any stallion in New Zealand this season.
* Walker will be out of action until after February 6 after copping a three riding day suspension at Wairoa yesterday.
- NZPA
Manawatu owner Ray Scott sells most of the colts he breeds but has no regrets refusing the huge money offered for his star galloper Tit For Taat as a three-year-old.
"We turned down a lot of money for him but he has been well worth keeping," Scott said after Tit For
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