Tiger Shark ready to bite

By Jordan Gerrans

Promising filly Tiger Shark will wave goodbye for the summer following Saturday’s Listed Gold Edition Plate with the Natalie McCall team having big fish to fry over the winter of 2024.

The Group 1-winning conditioner is not limping to the finish line of her campaign with the bay filly either as McCall has declared the three-year-old is as fit as she has been this preparation.

With the warmer months ahead, McCall is keen for the daughter of Rich Enuff to have a long break in the paddock and come back bigger and stronger for stakes level competition over the winter.

The long-term plan is to kick-off in the Gold Coast Guineas and then plot a path either through the three-year-old sprint events or head towards fillies races.

That could include stops in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes or the annual Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich.  

Regardless, McCall believes Tiger Shark is black-type material after running well at that level previously without yet breaking through.

“She is definitely black-type grade, absolutely,” the Stradbroke Handicap-winning trainer said.

“She has raced well in them so far without luck and I think she will be running well on Saturday.

“She has been great for the owners; she has been an inexpensive purchase and she looks like a nice filly.

“I am sure if she can gain some black-type she will be valuable as a brood mare as well. It is really good for the owners.”

Tiger Shark has been a revelation for connections after they paid just $12,000 for her as a  weanling.

The filly is raced by Boost Juice owners Jeff and Janine Allis.

McCall is not fussed about Tiger Shark’s cheap price tag, noting that all the horses who come into her barn are treated the same regardless of if they are cheap or expensive at the sales.

The Caloundra-based trainer won the 2014 Stradbroke Handicap with roughie River Lad.

Tiger Shark has been plagued by wide draws this time in and it is no different again for Saturday with the filly handed 15 when they were released on Wednesday.

The galloper and her rider Ben Thompson will come in a couple of starting positions after scratchings.

The form guide reads two fourth place finishes this preparation for Tiger Shark following those two previous wide draws.

Despite not yet finishing in the money in the 2023-24 Queensland Summer Racing Carnival, McCall could not be more pleased with the way her up-and-coming sprinter is travelling.

“I thought first-up she was enormous,” McCall said.

“From a bad draw she travelled wide and then on the corner one sort of ran off underneath her. For her to even finish off where she did, that was an enormous run I thought.

“That run was amazing and second-up she just had to do too much work again after drawing a poor gate.

“Her sectionals early on in the second-up run were very, very quick and probably was found out late, but she did too much work early and was busted from the half mile to the top of the straight.

“She gave a really good kick when she let down good and was straighten but she just weakened a little late from the tough run.”

McCall has recently brought on board apprentice hoop Heidi Gillie to her stable.

The 27-year-old Gillie is looking forward to seeing Tiger Shark in action in the Listed Gold Edition Plate over 1200 metres.

“She gets fresh leading into her runs and that is when you know she will run well,” Gillie said.

“She always does run well. She has been good and has put in well.”

McCall is hopeful Tiger Shark can win for the first time since early September if she can overcome the wide draw on Saturday.

“She is super,” she said.

“We were a little bit worried that the two tough runs maybe have taken the sting out of her but she is a big, gross filly and is tough – she came through both of those runs really well.

“She has trained on nicely and this is probably as fit as we have had her, she is really screwed down for this.

“We are looking forward to Saturday. I don’t think there is too much more to come for her.”

As of Thursday morning, Tiger Shark is a $12 chance with bookmakers for the Gold Edition.

Tiger Shark will be one of a three-pronged team for the McCall barn at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Invinovich – a James Orman mount – will tackle the Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1000 metres while stable mate The Drover will contest the Benchmark 78 Handicap over 1400 metres.

In-form apprentice Cejay Graham will utilise her claim on The Drover.