Cifrado on trial for winter features at Ipswich

By Glenn Davis

Promising youngster Cifrado will make a low-key return at Ipswich on Wednesday ahead of a possible Queensland Racing Carnival campaign.

Cifrado – a Boris Thornton mount – steps out for the first time since late December in the QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1100 metres.

Despite still being a maiden, trainer Rex Lipp has always had a high opinion of the son of Encryption who has placed twice at his only three starts.

Cifrado faces a massive class drop on his first campaign which included two starts at Stakes level.

A $320,000 buy as a yearling, Cifrado is a half-brother to Tony Gollan’s former flyer Madame Fleiss, a winner of five of her nine starts and more than $430,000 in prizemoney.

After wining a 650-metre barrier trial in November last year, Cifrado finished second on debut behind the Les Ross-trained Mishani Gangster at the Gold Coast in late November.

Mishani Gangster subsequently franked the form finishing second to stablemate Mishani Royale in last month’s $500,000 QTIS Jewel at Doomben.

Lipp felt Cifrado was run off his feet in his first appearance over 900 metres so he stepped him up in class and distance next start when second to Sydney raider Godfather in the Listed Phelan Ready at Eagle Farm in December.

Lipp then tried to qualify him for the Magic Millions Classic but missed out when he beat only one home in the Group 3 Bruce McLachlan Stakes at Doomben two weeks later.

At the time Lipp was training in a joint partnership with Nicholas Hahn but the two have since split to go their own way with the veteran Toowoomba trainer now back training solo.

“He ran a great race in the Phelan Rady when he was caught three wide and he wasn’t beaten that far in the Bruce McLachlan and was at the end of his campaign,” Lipp said.

Cifrado raced in blinkers for the first time in the Bruce McLachlan and will continue to wear them for his upcoming campaign.

”All going well, he’ll go on to the winter but he’s got to measure up first,” Lipp said.

“He’ll head towards races like the Sires’ Produce and T J Smith (J J Atkins).

“My biggest worry is his wide gate and he’s not brilliant out of the gates.

“If he doesn’t get away, he’s no hope but the 1100 is not too bad a start at Ipswich."