The Tait family colours were making news last Saturday carried by progressive 2YO Buccleuch, who won the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final and back in 2020 they won the same race with Cherry Tortoni and his half-brother was a winner at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Trained by Ron Quinton, three year-old Too Darn Hot ((GB) gelding Signor Tortoni is a towering giant that stood head and shoulders above his rivals in the mounting yard, but he’s still a baby in the head.
Sent out favourite for the 1200m Benchmark 64 event after breaking his maiden last start by four lengths at Gosford, Signor Tortoni took plenty of persuading by Jason Collett to get him home by a neck over the promising Zoustar filly Kilonova.
Fourth on debut last December, Signor Tortoni has been either first or second in every start since with two wins and three seconds from six starts and prizemoney topping $83,000.
“I was happy with the rhythm I was in. I always felt like he had it covered, but when I asked for him and he sort of half put the head on the side a bit and once I switched my stick to the left and put a few there, he responded, which is good and he was good through the line,” said Jason Collett.
“He's a big boy and he's still a big boy mentally. He went to the start out by himself in front of the others and was too busy shying and looking at stuff. He may even want a hood on in time, but he's a big, bold type, so it’s just about harnessing it at present and going from there.”
Signor Tortoni was foaled and raised at Twin Hills Stud and runs for Sandy Tait and Jill Nivison and is a half-brother to Group II winner Cherry Tortoni, Group III winner Wings of Song and Group III winner Jenny Jerome being the sixth winner to race from Tortoni.
A minor winner by Strategic, Tortoni is a half-sister to the Tait’s Champion Stayer Tie the Knot, who won 21 races and over $6million with 13 of them in G1 races!
Tortoni is also a half-sister to stakes-winners Hood and Dream Ballad being the last foal among nine winners from Group I VATC Thousand Guineas winner Whisked.
Tortoni has a yearling filly by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) and produced a colt last spring by Churchill (IRE) that is a full brother to Jenny Jerome, who retired to stud last year and was covered by the young Twin Hills sire Daumier.
She was sold at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale this year for $400,000 to Cameron Cooke Bloodstock.
