Bradley Photographers
David Hayes says Friday night’s Gr.3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes at Moonee Valley represents a “fork in the road” for high-class filly Tulip (Pierro).
Tulip is the $3.10 favourite for the 1200m sprint and Hayes says punters will see a more relaxed filly than the one which finished fourth behind Booker when she resumed in the Gr.3 Kevin Hayes Stakes at Caulfield earlier this month.
That race probably wasn’t run to suit but the jury was out on the daughter of Pierro when she got out to unleash a run but only chugged to the line, beaten almost four lengths.
If she rediscovers anything like her form from last year’s The Everest, when she ran a huge race at $51 when finishing fifth behind Redzel, she should be winning at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Hayes, who trains in partnership with son Ben and Tom Dabernig, has seen some good signs from his filly.
But he admits he is unsure whether she is back to the form that saw her run a bottler in The Everest.
Hayes has nominated Tulip for Group One races like the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on March 10 and the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on April 7 but he won’t commit to anything until after her run on Friday night.
“It is a fork in the road for her, to see how she is going,” Hayes said. “Things didn’t really work out for her first-up and it was what it was.
“But you will see a lot more relaxed filly on Friday night as she has derived benefit from that (first-up) run and it has taken the edge off her.
“I would like to see her win this race and then make some judgements as to where she goes from there.”
Kerrin McEvoy will partner Tulip again on Friday night.
Tulip was bred by Orpendale and purchased by BBA Ireland and Lindsay Park Racing for $400,000 from Curraghmore's 2016 NZB draft. -racenet.com.au
