Four-time Group 1 winner returns

There’s no doubt Red Hot Tooth has moved into the twilight of a wonderful career, but there’s still big plans in store for the evergreen mare.

Wheels are in motion for a tilt at the Inter Dominion Championships with the eight-year-old, who makes a long-awaited return to the races this Friday night in Ballarat.

Trainer Kari Males is upbeat about how the daughter of Yankee Paco has come back from a break, with trial wins at Tabcorp Park Melton and Shepparton holding her in good stead for a first-up assignment.

“I’m very happy with her. She’s done everything that we’ve asked her to at this stage,” Males said.

“She’s an eight-year-old mare now so she’s going to probably take a couple of runs before she’s back to her best – she often does – but I was pretty happy with her trial the other day (at Shepparton). She did it pretty easy on her own bat and still had the plugs in, so we’ll just probably be looking for an easier run first-up and hope she’s hitting the line strong.”

Red Hot Tooth is a four-time Group 1 winner who took on many of the elite level races last preparation before going out for a spell in late March.

Now she’s back and ready to get cracking, with Friday’s Group 3 John Slack Memorial Trotters Cup at Bray Raceway her opening assignment of the new campaign.

While retirement is on the minds of connections, the 2021 Inter Dominion Championships through November and December remain firmly on the radar should the horse continue to show interest in racing.

“The owners are up in New South Wales so that’s her main aim. He (Graham Bullock) is sort of wanting to retire her soon. So unless she tells us she’s looking for retirement, we’ll keep pressing on and aim for Menangle for the Inter with her.

“And then she’ll probably go to stud after that I’d say.”

The grueling series takes in three rounds of heats at Menangle, Bathurst and Newcastle in the space of nine days before the final six days later on December 11.

“She’s the best traveller of all – nothing phases her,” Males, from Bolinda, said. “She’s travelled up to New South Wales quite a few times…

“She seemed to come through the Inter down here pretty good as far as backing up with runs, so she’s handled that in the past.”

Red Hot Tooth is a winner of 25 of her 91 starts for earnings of over $500,000.

By Tim O’Connor for HRV