Lipp hopes to celebrate birthday in Sires' Produce

By Glenn Davis

Toowoomba trainer Rex Lipp is hoping for an early birthday present when he attempts to win his second Sires’ Produce Stakes with Cifrado at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Lipp turns 75 on Monday and is still going as strong as when he first started training more than three decades ago.

Lipp has overcome a series of health problems including a heart disorder several years ago and three hip replacements.

He has considered retirement several times but keeps finding good horses to keep him in the training caper.

“I’m 75 next week and I’ve thought about retirement 75 times,” Lipp joked.

“I’ve had three hip replacements and wore one out after 20 years when they only expected it to last 10 years.”

A $320,000 buy as a yearling, Cifrado is a half-brother to Tony Gollan’s former flyer Madame Fleiss, a winner of five of her nine starts and more than $430,000 in prize money.

Lipp has won two Group 1s during his career with Star Shiraz in the Sires’ Produce in 2004 and Tinto in the Queensland Oaks ten years later.

“Star Shiraz won the Sires’ when it was a Group 1 but it’s now a Group 2 and then I won my second in the Queensland Oaks with Tinto,” Lipp said.

Lipp has retained jockey Damien Thornton for Cifrado who is coming off a brilliant win in the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic at Doomben on May 3.

“He’s a very exciting colt and I’ll see how he pulls up after this run whether he goes onto the J.J Atkins next month,” Lipp said.

Lipp is a great believer in barriers playing a significant part in feature races and was delighted when the son of Encryption drew barrier five.

“It’s a nice draw and hopefully he’ll be in the first three pairs,” Lipp said.

“His last win was very good and with the good draw we’ll be going into the race with confidence.”

Cifrado only won his maiden three starts back at Ipswich but Lipp has always had a big opinion of the youngster.

After finishing second in a Gold Coast maiden on debut in November last year, Lipp took a gamble to step him up sharply in grade when he finished second in the Listed Phelan Ready at Eagle Farm in December.

He missed a Magic Millions start when he finished back in the field for the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Doomben two weeks later and was sent for a spell.

Since returning Cifrado won first-up in a maiden at Ipswich in April and was then placed behind the promising filly Appin Girl in the Listed Dalrello Stakes at Eagle Farm before his Spirit Of Boom triumph.