Pollard chasing dream Group 1 with Midnight In Tokyo

By Glenn Davis

It will be one for the ages if Midnight In Tokyo can give rookie trainer Todd Pollard his first Group 1 by winning the Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Pollard has only been training for four months after branching out on his own last February following a lengthy stint as foreman for the Sydney training partnership of Annabel and Rob Archibald.

The New Zealand-born Pollard claimed his maiden stakes winner with Midnight In Tokyo when she won the Listed Hinkler Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 13.

Midnight In Tokyo was a dual acceptor for both the Tatt’s Tiara and Group 3 Healy Stakes, but is a surprise starter in the final Group 1 of the season.

She drew the outside barrier 18 in the Tatt’s Tiara compared to nine in the Healy Stakes.

“She’s not favoured by the draw in the Tatt’s Tiara, but it could be her only chance to run in a Group 1,” Pollard said.

“I’m not sure how we’ll ride her yet and I'll leave that up to her rider Ryan Maloney, but she’ll either go back or go forward and nowhere in the middle.

“There’s a lot of speed in the Healy, so it wasn’t an easy decision to go for the Group 1.”

A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into turning Midnight In Tokyo into a stakes winner, but to bow out winning at the highest level would be a dream come true for Pollard.

“It was a thrill to win my first stakes race and it will be just awesome if I could win my first Group 1,” Pollard said.

“But, I don’t like getting ahead of myself, so there’s no pressure on and it’s nice to fly under the radar.”

Pollard said a decision on Midnight In Tokyo’s future would be decided after the Tatt’s Tiara.

“There’s plenty of options to consider and that’s something the owners will have to decide,” Pollard said.

“It’s not definite she’ll go to stud this year as she could still race on for another year or she could be freshened up for a spring campaign in Sydney.”

Meanwhile, Gerringong is prepared by the father-and-son training partnership of Chris and Corey Munce and they will be shooting for the same prize as Pollard on Saturday. 

The four-year-old mare is part of a two-pronged attack from 'Team Munce' with stablemate Poster Girl also targeting the feature.

Co-trainer Corey Munce believes Gerringong has the right form to win the Tatt’s Tiara, but is wary of her wide draw.

“Both of them haven’t drawn well, but 1400 metres at Eagle Farm can be a bit forgiving,” Corey Munce said.

“They’ll need some luck from their draws with Gerringong in 13 and Poster Girl in barrier 15.

"Gerringong’s run in the Dane Ripper was very impressive on a track we didn’t know how she’d handle."