22 Apr 2017
Tavidream became Tavistock's 12th stakes winner as he surged to victory in Saturday's Gr.2 Valachi Downs Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie.
It was Tavidream's fifth win from seven starts to go with two runner-up finishes and his fourth at Ellerslie and sealed Northland trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs' plans to send the gelding to Brisbane for the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m).
"He's definitely Queensland Derby bound," Chris Gibbs said.
"The Derby here just came up too soon for him so we backed off and he's rewarded us today so it's onwards and upwards.
"Each time he wins the more the offers come in," added Gibbs, who shares in the ownership syndicate with his father Jim, a former top trainer.
Ridden by Alysha Collett, Tavidream enjoyed a perfect run one off the rail in fourth spot and he went clear 200m from home and held out by a head the late surge of Charles Road.
"He had to step up again and there was a lot of good horses here," Gibbs said.
"Charles Road gave him a run and it was nice to see our horse fight like that."
It continued a string of recent feature wins for Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock after Infantry's Listed Moonbeam Vase success in Singapore and Tannhauser confirmed Singapore Guineas favouritism with another wide margin win at Kranji on Friday night.
Tavistock's son Hiflyer went within a long neck of giving his sire the Group Two double at Ellerslie when he was outfinished late by Seventh Up in the Manco Easter Handicap (1600m).
Only last week did Cambridge Stud boss Sir Patrick Hogan announce he would leave Tavistock's service fee for 2017 unchanged at $65,000 plus GST plus live foal guarantee with a restriction of 160 mares. ? Staff writer, NZ Racing Desk