Racing: Kiwis ready to swoop at Eagle Farm in bid to break drought

Tutukaka has opened at $1.40 with Australian bookies. Photo / Race Images

Surely the New Zealand drought of winners in Australia ends at Eagle Farm today.

That is what the market says and trainer Tony Pike hopes is accurate after finding what he thinks is the perfect race for Tutukaka in the opener in Brisbane today at a meeting that also hosts the final Group 1 of the Australian racing season, the A$600,000 Tatt's Tiara.

The Queensland winter carnival, for so long a goldmine for New Zealand gallopers, have been devoid of any New Zealand-trained winners and that followed a luckless autumn in Sydney, where little went right for the Kiwi raiders.

So no New Zealand-trained thoroughbred has won a Saturday race in Australia since Quick Thinker in Sydney in early April.

It is not a matter of class — after all, Probabeel has won four times in Australia this season including two Group 1 races, The Chosen One was placed in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, Aegon won a top 3-year-old race and others such as Melody Belle, Entriviere and Llanacord have placed at the highest levels.

But autumn and winter have been unhappy hunting grounds and Pike says it could be a combination of things.

"We've been sending a lot of horses over at the end of campaigns, like after derbies and Oaks racing at home, which doesn't make it easy," says the Cambridge trainer.

"And then you have the fact the carnivals here are getting stronger. There is so much money available, the good Group 1 horses are even racing deep into this carnival, as you can see by the class of mares on show in the Tiara this week.

"So it's getting harder and the season is so long now, with not just the two big carnivals, so we're having to pick our targets."

Pike appears to have picked the right target today for Tutukaka, a half-brother to Melody Belle by the late Tavistock.

He is still a maiden after three starts but has hit the line hard each time and today steps up to 1830m, an extremely rare juvenile race in this part of the world past 1600m.

Not only does he looks ideally suited but the race has drawn only four opponents and Tutukaka has opened at $1.40 with Australian bookies, the shortest any New Zealand galloper has been for a Saturday race in Australia for years.

"We planned this race for him months ago because he's a good staying horse and we thought it might come up short on numbers but I didn't expect this," says Pike.

"Really, the way he's been going, he should win, and he seems very well and has handled the racing well.

"But I can't remember lining one up that short in Aussie before. I hope that market is right."

Pike says victory today would also qualify Tutukaka for his main spring aim, the VRC Derby, which he will prepare for by spelling in Australia rather than coming home to the cold.

If Tutukaka is successful, it will add to the staggering success Pike has had with a syndicate he formed nearly three years ago to buy colts at the yearling sales.

Already several horses purchased by that group have been sold for huge money, with sales returns rumoured to be close to four times what the group have put in and with good horses still in their ownership.

"It has been more successful than we dared dream and we will be going again at the sales next season but probably boosting the numbers, so we'll be taking new people in, too."

Taranaki mare Coventina Bay faces a far tougher task in the Tatt's Tiara against an outstanding field.

She is likely to get back and hit the line hard, but even a top-three finish would be a huge result, given the depth of the 1400m Group 1.

Domestically, there will be thoroughbred racing today at Tauranga, highlighted by the $50,000 Tauranga Classic for mares, and at Riccarton.