The 2019 Tattersall’s Tiara is the final Group 1 event of the racing season and a capacity field of fillies and mares will contest the $500,000 race at Eagle Farm on Saturday afternoon.
There is a huge amount of depth to the Tattersall’s Tiara field and you can make a case for more than half the field.
Invincibella
Invincibella returned to winning form with a smart effort in the Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm on Stradbroke Handicap Day and that is always the strongest form reference for this contest. There is no doubt that a peach of a ride from James McDonald played a role in that victory and she was favoured by the on-pace bias that was evident early on Stradbroke Handicap Day. She is in the mix, but $11 seems around the right mark.
Prompt Response
Prompt Response has the chance to become the first horse since Bonanova in 2000 to win this contest in back-to-back years. She was gallant with a big weight on her back in the Dane Ripper Stakes and the return to weight-for-age conditions is ideal for her. Barrier 13 shouldn’t be too much of an issue for her and she will be able to hold a forward position with Glyn Schofield in the saddle.
Spright
I had big doubts over the ability of Spright to run out a strong 1400 metres in the Stradbroke Handicap, but she was able to savage the line in the concluding stages. In saying that, she has still missed the placings in five of her six race starts over this trip and I’m not convinced about the form coming out of the Stradbroke Handicap. $12 seems around the right price.
Oregon’s Day
Oregon’s Day heads into the Tatt’s Tiara on the back of two poor efforts and the wide barrier draw makes her task even tougher.
Princess Posh
Princess Posh missed the Stradbroke Handicap due to a minor injury, but she has recovered from that and will contest the Tatt’s Tiara. She finished second behind The Bostonian in the Kingsford-Smith Cup and the form coming out of that race was franked when third placegetter Trekking won the Stradbroke Handicap. There is no doubt that the Kingsford-Smith was the best performance of her career and there is a question mark over whether she can reproduce that effort. She will need some luck from the wide barrier, but $16 is slightly over the odds.
Irithea
Irithea was not disgraced in the Stradbroke Handicap and she finished an excellent fourth in the Kingsford-Smith Cup. There is no doubt that she is racing in career best form and she does have the early speed to overcome the wide barrier draw. She is yet another mare that can’t be ruled out of contention.
Eckstein
Eckstein will make her debut for the Chris Waller stable after she was purchased by Coolmore at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $750,000. She returned to a semblance of her best form in the Grinders Coffee Roasters Stakes, but she was still handily beaten by Savatiano and it is tough to see her turning the tables.
Winter Bride
Winter Bride is a very consistent mare and she goes into the Tatt’s Tiara on the back of solid efforts in the Victory Stakes and the Moreton Cup. She always makes her own luck right on the speed and Ryan Maloney will be able to settle her in a lovely position from barrier six. I think that she is an outstanding each-way bet at her current odds of $17.
Egg Tart
Egg Tart will return to the races for the first time since she finished eighth in the Ranvet Stakes. She has raced well in stronger company than this, she chased home Winx in both the Apollo Stakes and the Chipping Norton Stakes, but it has been a while between race wins and she has become a costly horse for punters.
Savatiano
Savatiano is the horse to beat in the Tatt’s Tiara. She returned to her best form with an absolutely dominant win in at Eagle Farm on May 25 and her closing sectionals were some of the best of the day. I like the fact that James Cummings has freshened her up and given her a barrier trial between race starts as she has recorded three wins from her five first-up starts. She will require some luck in running, but she does have tactical speed that Tommy Berry can take advantage of.
Noire
It has been a while between wins for Noire, but it is rare to see her throw in a poor performance. She ran the best closing sectionals against the pattern of the race in the Dane Ripper Stakes and the strong tempo expected in the Tatt’s Tiara should suit her. Whether she is up to winning at Group 1 level is a genuine question mark
Naantali
Naantali was no match for Multaja in the Helen Coughlan Stakes and the filly actually meets her better at the weights in the Tatt’s Tiara. I would be surprised if she is capable of winning at this level.
Siren’s Fury
Siren’s Fury was never able to get into the contest in the Dane Ripper Stakes, but she was able to reel off the best closing sectionals of the day. She has not had a great deal of luck in any of her recent race starts and she did beat the boys to win the Star Kingdom Stakes in Sydney earlier in her campaign. She is a far better chance than her current odds of $61 suggest and she is a sensational each-way bet.
Pecans
Pecans is on the quick back-up after finishing fifth in the Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich last weekend. I would be surprised if she played a factor in this contest.
Jamaican Rain
Jamaican Rain has had issues this campaign and when she finally got to the races she produced a fairly flat effort in The Goodwood. She requires a wet track to be a genuine winning chance in the Tatt’s Tiara and she doesn’t look likely to get that this weekend.
Outback Barbie
Outback Barbie was a drifter ahead of the Dane Ripper Stakes and she produced a truly terrible effort in that contest. She has recorded only two wins from her 14 race starts and she always seems to find trouble. I’ve run out of patience with her and the inside barrier draw isn’t ideal either.
Multaja
Multaja has recorded three wins from her past five starts and she is clearly one of the leading contenders in the Tatt’s Tiara. She stamped herself as one of the horses to beat with a powerful win in the Helen Coughlan Stakes and the step-up in trip should suit. The one query is that this is a big step-up in quality and this is easily the toughest test of her career to date. She can’t be ignored at $8.50.
Pohutukawa
Pohutukawa is quickly earning the title of the unluckiest horse in the country. She was luckless in both the Light Fingers Stakes and the Surround Stakes in the Autumn before she was held up for a run again in both the Fred Best Classic and the Queensland Guineas. Her racing style does mean that she always need luck in running and I’m not sure that the drop back in trip is ideal for her. She has the talent to win, but I am happy to take her on at the current price.
Baccarat Baby
Baccarat Baby is the first emergency in the Tatt’s Tiara field. It took a smart horse in the form of Kolding to beat her in the Queensland Guineas and before that she ran well in the Fred Best Classic. She could give a sight in a race of this quality at nice odds.
Con Te Partiro
Con Te Partiro looked like a potential star when she won the Dark Jewel Classic in her Australian racing debut, but she was a little bit disappointing in the Dane Ripper Stakes last start. She will require two scratchings to earn a place in this field.
Platinum Angel
Platinum Angel is the third emergency in the Tatt’s Tiara field. She doesn’t win out of turn, but her run in the Dane Ripper Stakes last start was excellent.
Split Lip
Split Lip is the fourth emergency for the Tatt’s Tiara and is unlikely to earn a start.
Sweet Deal
Sweet Deal is the fifth emergency for the Tatt’s Tiara and is unlikely to earn a start.