Nozi recommends Guineas for Fighting Teo

Giant galloper Fighting Teo will take on stakes class in the Group Three Sunshine Coast Guineas on the recommendation of his regular trackwork rider Nozi Tomizawa.

Fighting Teo was the centre of a stewards’ inquiry when jockey Damian Browne was suspended for two months on a handling charge on Wednesday.

Fighting Teo finished sixth in a Class One at Caloundra on June 1 but has since won at Toowoomba.

Browne has appealed the suspension and called evidence at the inquiry to show that Fighting Teo was awkward to ride.

Trainer Kevin Kemp backed up Browne’s claims and said several jockeys had told him the same thing.

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“He is a big horse, more than 17 hands, and when Matt McGillivray rode him at Ipswich he said it was the hardest ride he had ever had,” Kemp said.

However, Kemp said Tomizawa seemed to get on very well with Fighting Teo and convinced the trainer to run him in Saturday’s Guineas (1600m).

“I don’t know why but Nozi seems to get the best out of him. He won on him at his next start at Toowoomba after the Caloundra run,” Kemp said.

“It wasn’t the strongest race as they ran 39 seconds plus for their last 600 metres.”

“But after trackwork this week Nozi said to me to send him to Caloundra and he would ride him.

“He will be a huge price but Nozi is confident, so away we go.”