Racing: Tit For Taat finally makes his mark in Brisbane

BRISBANE - The real Tit For Taat stood up to be counted at Eagle Farm when he narrowly won the weight-for-age Sir Byrne Hart Stakes (1400m).

Tit For Taat, a five-time group one winner in New Zealand, dented his huge reputation with a tiring sixth to Falvelon at Doomben last week casting some doubt over his winter carnival prospects.

But the five-year-old regained lost prestige when he edged out local sprinter Scenic Peak by a short head with last year's Sir Byrne Hart winner Mr Bureaucrat a half-neck away third.

Two failed Melbourne campaigns had Australian pundits questioning the value of those group one wins.

Tit For Taat ran poorly in Melbourne, but both times were flying raids and he had failed to cope, becoming stressed and developing a muscle problem known as tying up.

For this Queensland campaign, he was brought over early and had settled in nicely to New Zealand trainer Alan Jones' stable at Caloundra.

Co-trainer Anne Herbert dismissed last week's failure with the "nervy" Tit For Taat and successfully predicted a marked improvement from him on Saturday.

"I wasn't surprised at all he won," Herbert said. "He needed the run last week and the distance and bigger track at Eagle Farm suited him better.

"I walked 500 miles with him today to help settle his nerves so he would want to have won."

Herbert is now convinced Tit For Taat is on target for the A$500,000 group one Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday week where he will clash again with local idol Falvelon in his attempt at an historic three successive Doomben 10,000s.

Falvelon will retire to stud after the $1 million Stradbroke Hcp (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 7.

Herbert, who trains Tit For Taat with husband Wayne, is also looking at the Stradbroke with the Kiwi sprinter.

While Herbert is anxiously awaiting a rematch with Falvelon, trainer Danny Bougoure also unveiled a worthy Stradbroke second-stringer with Scenic Peak, who was beaten by a bob of the head.

"He's not a weight-for-age horse and he'll drop from 58kg to 53.5kg in the Stradbroke," Bougoure said.

"I was delighted with the run and he'll go straight into the Stradbroke now without another run."

Doncaster Hcp placegetter Boreale may yet be a Doomben Cup contender (2200m) with stablemate Freemason after his all-the-way win in the Listed Ramsay Health Care Hcp (1800m).

Boreale, the odds-on favourite, proved far superior to his Brisbane rivals cruising to a three-quarter length win over Forest Jim with Laurinel Argie a similar distance away third.

Stable spokesman Michael Hawkes confirmed Boreale would back up next week in the $300,000 Hollindale Cup (1800m) at the Gold Coast.

"His work has been good since he came to Brisbane and he was too good for these," Hawkes said.

Herbert said it was good to get the New Zealanders a win at the Queensland carnival.

Before Tit For Taat's race, five New Zealanders lined up in the Queensland Guineas, with the Bruce Marsh-trained King Of Them All being the best of them, storming home late to claim third behind True Glo and Sportsman. Penny Gem was fifth and Bank Note eighth, Fei Lung 10th and Bunker 17th.

In Adelaide, former New Zealand jockey Wayne Hokai had his first group one win when the New Zealand-bred filly Sound Action won the Australasian Oaks. New Zealand-trained entrants Volksini and Jumble were unplaced.

Taranaki's Go Thenaki was fourth in an earlier race on the Adelaide card.

- NZPA