Kelly Schweida would’ve preferred not to run progressive three-year-old Weigall Tiger on Saturday at Eagle Farm but doesn’t want to take any chances with the son of Saxon Warrior currently 17th in the ballot for the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas.
The Eagle Farm based trainer has won four Magic Millions races but never the 2yo or 3yo feature, for which Weigall Tiger, who has won all four starts this preparation, is an $11 chance.
“I probably wouldn’t have run him if I was assured he’d get a run in the Magic Millions but he’s number seventeenth in order and a couple of them above him won’t start but quite a few underneath him will run between now and the Magic Millions so unfortunately I’ve got to go around this week to try and earn a bit more prize money,” Schweida said.
Weigall Tiger turned heads at his first Saturday metro start, stepping up to the 1400m at Eagle Farm two starts ago and winning by 4.6 lengths, following that up with another strong win last start in a Magic Millions Class 3 Handicap.
“I was trying to make an early runner of him but it wasn’t working… I trained his mother, she was a bit of a 1200 metre horse but to look at him he’s just a rangy type of horse, he’s certainly come a long way this prep,” Schweida said.
Stepping up to the mile for the first time, Schweida is confident the horse can continue to progress as he develops and says three weeks between runs back to 1400m should work out well for Weigall Tiger who looks a live chance on the Gold Coast.
“I think so (good chance). A lot of water under the bridge between now and then… it’s going to a mile in a small (field), we like riding him a bit quiet because he pulled his way to the front the other day, it’s certainly no harder than what he’s been meeting.”