Blinkers help Tumbler Ridge win at Doomben

Tumbler Ridge was too strong for Chris Munce’s Thrasher and Papaya in the Nuturf Handicap.

The addition of blinkers to the race gear of two-year-old Tumbler Ridge has helped him return to his best form at Doomben.

Tumbler Ridge ($3.90) made his run wide from the 600m mark but was too strong for Chris Munce-trained pair Thrasher ($21) and Papaya ($3.30) in Saturday’s Nuturf Handicap (1350m).

The gelding was a strong winner at Eagle Farm in early March but looked a little flat when third at the same track two weeks ago.

Trainer Steve O’Dea elected to put blinkers on Tumbler Ridge to get the gelding to concentrate.

“We have always considered him one of our better two-year-olds, especially when he got out to the longer races,” O’Dea said.

“We weren’t keen to put blinkers on last start when second-up and thought today was the right time.”

“He has worked in them and gone well.”

As is the case with many Queensland trainers, O’Dea had been looking to the winter with Tumbler Ridge but with the carnival scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic, he is debating the gelding’s future.

“There is a 1600 -metre race in a fortnight and he will probably head there,” O’Dea said.

Tumbler Ridge, who took his prize money to $101,000 with the win, is the best-performed son of former top sprinter Spill The Beans, who died late last year.