Rex Lipp holds no fears about the prospect of a heavy Sunshine Coast track for Winx Guineas contender Cifrado, who holds a 12-point rating edge over his rivals.
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“Yes, no worries,” Group 1 winning trainer Rex Lipp says emphatically.
“He has only had one start on a heavy track in his career, he ran well for second that day and that was on the Sunshine Coast as well.
“I’m not too worried about the track on Saturday.
“He could even be better on the heavy, he will be very hard to beat.”
Cifrado, who now races in the St George red and white colours of $40m Cairns lotto winner Cliff Little, put the writing on the wall he would be a force to be reckoned with in the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) when flashing home for second behind Hedged at his last start over 1350m at Ipswich.
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He has only once stretched out over 1600m at that was in the Group 1 JJ Atkins of 2023 when he finished sixth behind King Colorado and didn’t get a favourable run.
Two starts ago, two-time Group 2 winner Cifrado was beaten a long way in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic when a win would have given him a golden ticket into the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap. But Toowoomba trainer Lipp said there were clear excuses.
“He put in a shocker that day but he had tongue problems, he rolled his tongue back and half choked himself,” Lipp said.
“So then I put the tongue tie on him and he was terrific the other day at Ipswich.”
Rex Lipp. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography.
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Cifrado is rated a $4.80 chance in the Winx Guineas, which is named after the famous mare who started her incredible 33-race winning streak when she scored the race in 2015.
Know Thyself is the $2.30 favourite after winning a Highway grade race at Rosehill last start by more than five lengths on a heavy track.
Know Thyself has plenty of upside, but must make a big leap up in class to take out the Guineas.
“He looks a pretty smart horse, but his win last start was against inferior horses,” Lipp said.