Image: Steve Hart
Tasoraay will look to emulate stablemate Dream Hour by winning The Gateway at Eagle Farm.
A big draw in Sydney and the opportunity to chase a $300,000 payday in Brisbane have lured Kris Lees north with progressive four-year-old Tasoraay.
The gelding is a dual state acceptor, but after coming up with barrier 20 in the Saddles @ Mount White Handicap (1400m) at Randwick, Lees confirmed the horse would take his place in The Gateway (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
“We’ll send him up there. It’s good prize money and he’s in good form,” Lees said.
“He went wide in Sydney, so we’ll give him his chance there.”
Tasoraay has won three of his 11 starts, including his most recent when he piled 60kg to a narrow victory in the 1250m at Canterbury.
His profile is similar to that of stablemate Dream Hour, who won The Gateway by double figures two years ago.
That horse was then prepared for the Provincial Midway Championships and competed in two heats but did not make the final, although Lees is hopeful Tasoraay can go the extra mile.
“He will probably get a freshening up after this and prepare for the provincial championships. He profiles as one of those types of horses,” Lees said.
The winner of The Gateway also earns automatic entry into the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in June, with Dream Hour finishing ninth behind Stefi Magnetica in the 2024 extension.
While that race isn’t top of mind, Lees says it will be hard to turn down such an opportunity if Tasoraay is successful on Saturday.
“We won it a few years ago with Dream Hour and we went that way,” he said.
“We’ll see. It’s a big jump from this race to a Stradbroke, but with a free ticket you have to think about it.”
Tasoraay is a $23 odds for The Gateway in the early markets, with the Tony Gollan-trained Boomtown Boss a solid $2.70 favorite.
*Existing customers only. 2nd race bet. Excl SA & WA. T’s & C’s apply. Responsible gambling.
Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?
Set a deposit limit.
#Read #settles #Gateway #start #Tasoraay #horse #racing