I am Tiger, hear me roar!
Double millionaire Tiger Tara has been crowned the 2018/19 Australian Pacing Gold Grand Circuit champion following a dominant season at the sports highest level.
The eight leg series which commenced back in 1977 is now worth more than $4.4 million and starts in October at Melbourne with the Victoria Cup followed by the New Zealand Cup in Christchurch, Inter Dominion (Melbourne), Auckland Cup, WA Pacing Cup, Hunter Cup, Miracle Mile before concluding with the Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship.
The Kevin Pizzuto trained and Todd McCarthy driven star amassed 375 points during the season.
Points are awarded during the Grand Circuit, 100 points for a win, 60 points for second, 40 points for third, and so on, to last placing.
Tiger Tara claimed the Inter Dominion Grand Final plus the Victoria and Hunter Cups while finishing a nose second to Thefixer in the New Zealand Cup.
All of his Grand Circuit victories coming at TABCORP Park, Melton.
His three victories were equally stunning as one another because he showcased his high endurance and sublime speed.
He was unplaced in both the Miracle Mile (5th) and Blacks A Fake Queensland Championship (6th).
By taking the title, Tiger Tara becomes the first Australian trained performer to be crowned Grand Circuit champion since Lennytheshark shared the spoils with Smolda during the 2016 season.
The recently retired Lazarus claimed back to back titles during the past two seasons.
Overall, Tiger Tara has won 8 of his 19 starts to date this season while amassing almost $1 million in stakes.
The full list of Australian Pacing Gold Grand Circuit winners during the season were Tiger Tara (Victoria Cup), Thefixer (New Zealand Cup), Tiger Tara (Inter Dominion), Turn It Up (Auckland Cup), Rocknroll Lincoln (WA Pacing Cup), Tiger Tara (Hunter Cup), Spankem (Miracle Mile) and Colt Thirty One (Blacks A Fake Qld Championship).
Interestingly, Turn It Up and Colt Thirty One were the only Australian bred winners of a Grand Circuit event during the term and both graduates of the Australian Pacing Gold Yearling Sales.
And the Top 5 point scorers were;
Tiger Tara – 375 points
Thefixer – 164
Our Uncle Sam – 122
Spankem – 120
Rocknroll Lincoln/Turn It Up/Colt Thirty One – 100
Congratulations to the owners of Tiger Tara - M Hawli, C Pizzuto, K Pizzuto, T Pizzuto.
