TAVI TIME BACK ON ANOTHER CUPS HUNT

DUAL Summer Cup winner Tavi Time resumes at Royal Randwick tomorrow en route to another Cups hunt.

Group 1 Sydney Cup winning trainer Kris Lees has booked stable apprentice William Stanley to offset the gelding’s 62.5kg topweight by 3kg in the Benchmark 100 Handicap (1400m).

And he says he is happy with Tavi Time’s progress, with two recent trials to prepare him for his resumption.

“Tavi Time is coming up nicely, and can run well fresh,” he said this morning.

“All going well, he can go on to races such as the Hawkesbury Gold Cup and Scone Cup.”

The Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) will be run on May 2, and Listed Scone Cup over the same distance – which he won last year – is scheduled for May 15.

Both features carry eligibility for the $3m Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick in early November.

Tavi Time has contested the Big Dance the last two years, finishing fourth to Gringotts in 2024 and eighth to the same horse (without much luck) last year.

Tavi Time has won 10 and been placed six times from 28 starts, and earned just over $1.1m, and has won twice first-up.

Lees has made an important gear change on last year’s Group 1 Queensland Oaks winner You Wahng as he seeks to repeat stablemate Changingoftheguard’s Randwick upset last week.

Tom Sherry rides You Wahng, who races in winkers instead of blinkers in the Group 3 JRA Plate (2000m).

“You Wahng was plain last time in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14 at her first start since a good second in the Magic Millions Trophy (2200m) at the Gold Coast in January,” Lees said.

“But she has had a couple of good gallops since, and I can’t fault her.

“Getting to a more suitable distance will help, and she has drawn the inside barrier.”

Lees is yet to decide whether Erin Jo (Chad Schofield) will line up – and in a tongue tie - in tomorrow’s Group 3 JHB Carr Stakes (1400m) against her own age and sex.

“She has drawn awkwardly tomorrow with the rail out quite a distance,” he said.

“We might wait for a Benchmark 64 Handicap (1550m) for fillies and mares at Canterbury on Wednesday.”

Lees has two runners at tomorrow’s Eagle Farm meeting, and considers True To Form the pick of the pair.

He withdrew the import from Doomben last week to focus on the Class 6 Plate (1400m), and Andrew Mallyon has the mount.

“True To Form is in good order, is racing well and drops from 60.5kg at his last start when placed at Eagle Farm in a Benchmark 78 Handicap, to 57kg,” Lees said.

“He has drawn nicely and looks a really good chance.”

Lees’ other Brisbane representative is El Jasor (Kyle Wilson-Taylor) in the Benchmark 80 Handicap (2406m).

“El Jasor has now had three runs back, and there was good improvement at this track last time when fourth over 2200m and beaten than a length.”

STORY JOHN CURTIS, APRIL 17, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS