Karaka Quinella in Summer Cup

Graduates of the Karaka sale ring swept the first two placings in the A$250,000 Group Three Schweppes Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day, with Tavi Time (NZ) (Tavistock) edging out Osipenko (NZ) (Pierro) in a photo finish.

Tavi Time was a $60,000 purchase from the Book 1 draft of Pencarrow Stud at Karaka 2021. He has had 18 starts for eight wins, four placings and A$677,025 in stakes. Runner-up Osipenko cost $160,000 at the same sale and has returned A$1.18m from a 25-start, three-win career.

Tavi Time finished fourth in the A$3m The Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick in early November and was lumbered with 62kg topweights in two subsequent third placings at Kembla Grange and Randwick. He dropped to 53kg on Boxing Day and took full advantage, bursting out of midfield to lodge his claim in the straight.

Osipenko went with him and the pair moved three lengths of the rest of the field, fighting out a stirring finish that Tavi Time won by a nose.

“Full credit to the horse,” said Danny Greer, representing trainer Kris Lees. “This is his first time out to 2000 metres, and what better way to try it than with a luxury weight of 53 kilograms?

 “He is a horse that is racing really consistently and it was the right time to try stepping him out to 2000 metres. We were confident leading into the race.

“Also credit to Jay Ford. It was a nice ride. He kept his cool at the top of the straight when things didn’t go to plan and he was really strong late. We will see how he pulls up, but it’s onwards and upwards.”

One of 53 individual black-type winners sired by former Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock (NZ), Tavi Time is out of the Group One Telegraph Handicap (1200m) winner and Group One Livamol Classic (2040m) and WFA Classic (1600m) placegetter Guiseppina (NZ) (Johar).