Simon Zahra is encouraging punters to ignore the last start failure of Tavisteel (NZ) (Tavistock) ahead of her end-of-season goal in Saturday’s Gr.3 South Australian Fillies’ Classic (2500m) at Morphettville.
Tavisteel is likely start healthy odds in the Group Three contest following her well beaten twelfth on the final day of the Warrnambool May Carnival.
“We were forced to run her at Warrnambool, I would have loved to have run her at Caulfield two days later and given her a run there but we were first emergency for a 2000-metre three-year-old race at Caulfield and wouldn’t have got a run as it turned out,” Zahra said.
“The Heavy (10) track at Warrnambool just didn’t suit her so you’ve got to put a line through the run.”
Zahra takes heart from Tavisteel’s maiden victory on the Terang Cup undercard two starts ago, the daughter of Tavistock settling three back on the fence from barrier four under Alana Kelly before working her way into the clear to score over 1850 metres.
“That win at Terang was terrific and it’s been a good form race with the runner-up (Dunalley) since winning her next start at Ballarat,” Zahra said.
Zahra maintains he has purposefully prepared Tavisteel for the South Australian Fillies Classic, and if victorious interstate, would provide him with a first stakes victory since his successful training partnership with Mathew Ellerton discontinued at the end of last November.
“I have brought her along nice and slow this prep, this is the race I wanted to get her too and everything has gone well besides that last run at Warrnambool against older horses on that heavy track,” Zahra said.
“I don’t think the almost month gap between the Terang and Warrnambool races suited so with a two-week gap between runs, blinkers applied and getting out to her right distance on a drier track, she’ll run a good race.”
