Sprint king Joe Pride will saddle two in the 2015 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday, and is confident Tiger Tees is up to the class of the talent-rich field and ready to run a big race.

Tiger Tees has been a strong and consistent performer for Pride since first appearing on course competitively in 2011; posting an impressive 13 race wins and six minors through a total of 33 career starts.

Pleased with the Dubawi gelding’s first-up run for fifth behind stable mate and fellow Manikato Stakes entrant Terravista in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on October 3^rd, Pride told Racing Ahead he is thrilled with the eight-year-old’s condition and is confident his experience will count for a lot on Friday night.

“I thought his first-up run was really good and he’s a super competitive horse,” Pride said.

“As long as the sting is out of that track, he’s been a competitive horse at this level for a long time.”

The addition of blinkers to four-year-old Rich Enuff has Pride wary Tiger Tees will not get an easy run at the fore of the field, but the Warwick Farm trainer believes his runner will be able to find ideal running position wherever Ken Keys’ sprinter settles in the run.

“I’d like to think it won’t figure in the finish but I think the key horse in the race is Rich Enuff. Where is he going to settle, is he going to kick up and take on Buffering?” Pride queried.

“If he kicks up on Buffering I would like to think Tiger Tees will come across and race sort of one out, one back.”

Having made a successful transition to black type racing during his 2012 campaign, Tiger Tees failed to make much of an impact through 2013 but returned last year arguably in career-best form to date.

Winning the Listed Falvelon (1200m) first-up, Tiger Tees was luckless in running in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) but responded in the best way possible when breaking through for a maiden win at the highest in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) on March 29^th.

Progressing to fourth in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) and third in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m), Tiger Tees returned in spring for consecutive wins in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) and Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) before placing second in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m).

Ladbrokes.com.au is currently offering the best 2015 Manikato Stakes odds, for which Tiger Tees is rated the race’s rank outsider at a quote of $81 for success or $16.50 to finish in the first three.

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