Tiger Tara the epitome of a tough Standardbred

When he lines up in the harness racing $1.1 million 2017 TABtouch Inter Dominion final at Gloucester Park on Friday night Tiger Tara will be having his sixth start in 24 days with all six starts at either Group One or Group Two level.

On November 14th Tiger Tara finished third behind Lazarus and Jacks Legend in the $784,000 New Zealand Cup over two miles and followed that with a neck second to Ultimate Machete in the $234,000 New Zealand Free For All three days later on November 17th.

Arriving in Perth on a Singapore Airlines charter flight on November 20th Tiger Tara finished second to 2015 Inter Dominion champion Lennytheshark in his opening night heat after working hard early from a wide barrier before being forced to race in the breeze on the outside of Lennytheshark.

A good barrier at Bunbury resulted in a track record win and last night Tiger Tara was a gallant second to WA champion Chicago Bull again after racing outside Chicago Bull throughout.

Purchased earlier this year from the stallion’s New Zealand owners after he finished fourth in last season’s Auckland Cup by Mikey Hawli, Courtney Pizzuto, Tanya Pizzuto and Kevin Pizzuto he has blossomed under Pizzuto’s training.

Since entering Pizzuto’s Rossmore stables south of Sydney Tiger Tara has had 24 starts for 12 wins, four seconds and three third for stakes of $372,149.

Tiger Tara’s overall record stands at 77 starts for 25 wins, 18 seconds, 11 thirds and stakes of $1,136,931. He was an outstanding 3yo, winning the Group One New Zealand Sires Stakes and Great Northern Derby on his way to being named New Zealand 3yo Colt Pacer of the Year in 2014. He also won the Group One New Zealand Free For All in 2015 as a 5yo.

Under Pizzuto’s care he has won the Group Two Renshaw Cup and a string of Group Three races in New South Wales including the Golden Mile, Sydney Cup, Coca Cola Pace, Christmas In July Pace, Kevin Newman FFA and Nick Robin Memorial.

Unlike many horses with a reputation of being tough, Tiger Tara also possesses high speed and he is capable of carrying it over a distance.

Tiger Tara set a track record 1:52.3 rate over 2100 metres in beating Lazarus and San Carlo in the sixth heat of the Inter Dominion at Bunbury last Tuesday.

When he won the Canadian Club Pace over a mile at his home track of Menangle on March 24th Tiger Tara covered the mile in 1:49.8.

Tiger Tara is one of five runners in Friday night’s Inter Dominion final by super-sire Bettors Delight and his unraced dam is the 100% producing Dream Away mare Tara Gold.

Tara Gold has five foals of racing age and each has been a winner which is hardly surprising as she is a half-sister to the Group One Fremantle Cup winner Power Of Tara which finished his career in the USA as a winner of 31 races and $907,000.

Tiger Tara’s grand-dam Atomic Gold is a half-sister to the Group One New Zealand Easter Cup winner Matthew Lee 2:00.1 $281,850, Gawler Cup winner Home For Gold 2:00.8 $158,643 and the dam of Group Two Bendigo Cup winner Sammy Maguire 1:57.0 $241,382.

Alan Parker