By Glenn Davis
Rex Lipp may be in the twilight of his career and has threatened to retire more than once, but the popular Toowoomba horseman shows no signs of pulling up stumps.
Lipp turns 76 this month and is going as strong as ever and still dreams of claiming his first Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap with talented three-year-old Cifrado.
Cifrado will take an important step towards the $3 million Stradbroke at Eagle Farm on June 15 in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas over 1200 metres at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Lipp has already won two majors, firstly with Star Shiraz in the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes in 2004 then with Tinto in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks, both at Eagle Farm, ten years later.
Cifrado has already proven himself three times at Group level by winning the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben following a pair of Group 2 victories in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Spirit Of Boom Classic at Doomben last year.