Toffee Tongue a Sweet Investment for Munz

Hailing from an exceptional New Zealand family, and bought as a yearling for $500,000 at NZB’s Karaka 2018 sale by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock from Highden Park’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2018 for Pinecliff Racing’s principal Jonathan Munz. quality mare Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock) added another big win to her CV in Saturday’s $350,000 Gr3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill. Previously the winner of the Gr1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) and placed in both the Gr1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and Gr1 ATC Oaks (2400m), Toffee Tongue has now had 17 starts for two wins and seven placings, eclipsing her purchase price with $747,700 in prizemoney. After sitting in third place for a large part of Saturday’s 2000-metre journey visiting UK jockey Tom Marquand went to work at the top of the straight, and Toffee Tongue responded. She stretched out strongly and tenaciously, surging forward and diving at the line to edge out Spirit Ridge (Nathaniel) by a nose. Having defeated a field that featured proven Group 1 stars such as Mirage Dancer (Frankel), Colette (Hallowed Crown) and The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel), Toffee Tongue’s trainer Chris Waller believes the mare has earned a shot at Group 1 gold later in the autumn. “We’ll consider the Tancred (Group 1, 2400m, March 27). Whether it comes too early for her, I’m not too sure, but that’s certainly the race we’ll be looking at.” She is a full-sister to the Hong Kong champion Werther (NZ) (Tavistock), Group winner Gobstopper (NZ) (Tavistock) and Group-1 placegetter Milseain (NZ) (Tavistock).

Tom Marquand (red and white) wills Toffee Tongue home (pic: Steve Hart)