Royal Tithe cements Zielke’s 2yo top spot
Sunshine Coast filly Royal Tithe has made a mockery of her critics and helped trainer John Zielke maintain his position as the Queensland’s top two-year-old trainer.
A Group Three winner during the winter, Royal Tithe looked a handicapping special carrying only 2kg over the limit after jockey Josh Oliver claimed 3kg in the Global Transport Two Year Old (1600m) on Saturday.
However, Royal Tithe drifted to as much as $4.40 in the middle stages of betting before shortening to $3.60.
The filly was always travelling well and came away to win by a length to Persistent Shadow ($5) and by 1-3/4 lengths to Stoke It Up ($61) in third.
It was Zielke’s 13th two-year-old win of the season and pushed his prize and bonus money from his juveniles to just short of $900,000.
“Where are the knockers now? They were all saying that she would be too tired to run the 1600m but that was rubbish. I can’t believe the price the bookies bet,” Zielke said.
“She was a Group Three winner (the Ken Russell Memorial Classic) in a race against basically provincial class horses.”
Royal Tithe has won her fourth race of the season and will have a break before being set for QTIS bonus races in Brisbane during the summer.
Trainer Bevan Laming tipped a bright staying future for Stoke It Up in the next campaign.
“She is going to be a good stayer when she comes back into work,” he said.