Tiberian firms for Melbourne Cup following Deauville win

Darryl Sherer - Monday August 28

Tiberian firmed in betting for the 2017 Melbourne Cup following his victory in Sunday's Group II Grand Prix de Deauville (2500m).

Advertisement
Tiberian (inside) winning the Prix de Reux. Photo: France Galop

Tiberian defeated Doha Dream last time out in the Group III Prix de Reux over 2500m at Deauville when leading most of the way and the pair fought out the finish again at the weekend.

Olivier Peslier made a forward move at halfway to position Tiberian in third place as Mille Et Mille set a slow speed.

The race developed into a sprint home, Doha Dream taking the lead 400m out with Peslier challenging inside the final 200m and coaxing Tiberian to a short neck victory under 60kg.

Godolphin-owned Frontiersman, an early favourite for the 2017 Melbourne Cup, was last around the home turn and passed one horse on the run in, the trip completed in 2:44.68 on a track rated good.

Now part-owned by Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock, the Alain Couetil-trained Tiberian earned €114,000 ($A171,157) for the win and has won four of his five starts in 2017.

ATB principal Darren Dance said the horse has exceeded expectations this year.

"We think we've got the right horse at the right time," Dance said. "We bought into the horse in December last year thinking this horse would be the one for the race in 2018 but since then we lost Heartbreak City and Tiberian has been brilliant this preparation."

Dance said a decision on who rides Tiberian in Australia will be made when weights are declared.

"We were thinking he might get around 54kg before Sunday's win but things might change now," Dance said. "If he was to get 55kg then it opens up the range for a lot more jockeys so we'll just wait and see.

"I like riders who have ridden in the race, are aware of Australian racing and the tactics so we'll just see how things go with the weight."

Couetil told Equidia the five-year-old entire is still improving.

"Last time, with so few runners, I left tactics to Olivier and he made all but today I asked him to wait and get cover because he is better being ridden like that," Couetil said.

"He has a good turn of foot and knows how to quicken, plus he loves fast ground and gives me the impression he is getting better and better.

"He enters quarantine in Newmarket on September 13 and two weeks later will fly to Australia to prepare for the Melbourne Cup."

Nominations for the 2017 Melbourne Cup close at midday on Tuesday. Sportsbet has Tiberian available at $21 with Almandin now favourite at $15.

You can watch the race below, Tiberian in the blue jacket, pink sleeves.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday June 6
Here is the full list of 31 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Lucrative Pay Day For Adiella In Magic Millions National Classic
Coming off a last start second in the Group 3 Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Mile (1600m), the Improving 4yo The Mission mare Adiella recorded her sixth carer victory, adding the $500,000 Magic Millions National Classic to her record.
SWs in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel headline the June (Early) Online Sale
Stakes winners in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel, along with a significant number of young, well-bred racing and breeding prospects headline another intriguing catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
€1.85million Sale-Topping Frankel Filly Wins Epsom Oaks for Coolmore
The Group I Epsom Oaks (1m4f) had a raging hot favourite in undefeated Godolphin entry Desert Flower, but she came up short in her first try at the classic trip going down to finish third behind the Aidan O’Brien trained duo Minnie Hauk (Frankel and Whirl (Wootton Bassett).
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday that featured some interesting winners including stakes-placed filly Horseshoe Hill, a couple of unraced youngsters by Zoustar and the highest priced yearling by Prague.
North Pacific 2YO Ready to Win
Byerley Park trainer Steven Cole will head to Ellerslie with a quartet of runners on Saturday, and he is particularly upbeat about the chances of Pacific Breeze in the Network Visuals 1200.
Another Day, Another Stakes-Winner for Wootton Bassett
A homebred for Marc Chan, quality Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Green Impact closed out his juvenile season winning the Group II Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and he bounced back into the winner’s list at the same venue overnight.
Kicked out of Australia - Jan Brueghel Wins G1 Coronation
The horse kicked out of Australia last spring as not having suitable scans to race in the Melbourne Cup, Jan Brueghel showed just what we missed out on seeing when taking out the Group I Betfred Coronation Cup (1m4f) at Epsom overnight.
Capitalist Colt Records Back To Back Wins
Off the back of an explosive victory last time out at Hawkesbury when breaking his maiden by just shy of four lengths, Nathan Doyle’s Hidden Motive (Capitalist) justifiably jumped the short-priced favourite in the $160,000 Precise Air Handicap (1100m) at Randwick.
Hellbent's Sunrays Shines With Consecutive Stakes Wins
Saturday’s opening race at Eagle Farm, the Listed $160,000 BRC Show A Heart Stakes (1500m) saw Kelly Schweida’s talented Hellbent filly Sunrays record her second black type victory.