Toffee Tongue (NZ) Triumphs in Sky High Stakes

Hailing from an exceptional New Zealand family and bought for $500,000 at Karaka 2018, quality mare Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock) added another big win to her CV in Saturday’s A$350,000 Group Three Bisley Workwear Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill. 

Previously the winner of the Group One Schweppes Oaks (2000m) and placed in the Group One Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and ATC Oaks (2400m), Toffee Tongue has now had 17 starts for two wins and seven placings, eclipsing her purchase price with A$747,700 in prizemoney.

After sitting in third place for a large part of Saturday’s 2000-metre journey, jockey Tom Marquand went to work at the top of the straight, and Toffee Tongue responded. She stretched out strongly and tenaciously, surging forward and diving at the line to edge out Spirit Ridge (Nathaniel) by a nose.

“She was able to get a nice tow into the race, and I was pretty conscious of getting moving early enough, knowing that it was her first go at 2000 metres this time around,” Marquand said.

“She really pulled it out of the bag nicely for me there. I didn’t think I had won on the line, but she was gutsy and stuck her head down in the right place.”

Having defeated a field that featured proven Group One stars such as Mirage Dancer (Frankel), Colette (Hallowed Crown) and The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel), Toffee Tongue’s trainer Chris Waller believes the mare has earned a shot at Group One gold later in the autumn.

“She seems to thrive third-up in her preparations,” Waller said. “Third-up last year, she was beaten by a nose by Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) in the Turnbull. She’s done a great job today and it was a good field. The pressure was on throughout.

“We’ll consider the Tancred (Group One, 2400m, March 27). Whether it comes too early for her, I’m not too sure, but that’s certainly the race we’ll be looking at.

“I had been thinking about a race like the Doomben Cup (Group One, 2000m, May 22 in Brisbane), but today’s race was a very strong race, so maybe we might just raise the bar a little bit.”

Toffee Tongue was bought by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock from Highden Park’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2018. She is a full-sister to the Hong Kong champion Werther (NZ) (Tavistock), Group winner Gobstopper (NZ) (Tavistock) and Group One placegetter Milseain (NZ) (Tavistock).