Tatt's Tiara: Opal Ridge has Luke Pepper dreaming of Group 1 glory

Luke Pepper played an integral role behind the scenes preparing world champion sprinter Takeover Target, now he is looking for some glory of his own with gun filly Opal Ridge.

The Scone-based trainer knows a good horse when he sees one after sitting on Takeover Target in trackwork and says Opal Ridge has taken him on the ride of his life as a trainer in just 12 starts.

The filly is the dominant favourite for the Group 1 Tattersalls Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday and will be Pepper's first Group 1 runner.

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Much like Takeover Target, who was purchased by Joe Janiak for just $1375, Opal Ridge is a bargain buy, who did not attract a single bid at the yearling sales.

"She is the best one I have had, she is just next level," Pepper said.

"She was passed on at the Classic sale, she never got a bid in the ring.

"I had some mates there looking to buy one and they were kicking stones ready to walk out the gate and one of the Inglis guys said to check the filly out.

"They liked her, got her for $20,000, it is an amazing story and I'm lucky she ended up in my stable."

While Pepper didn't travel to Royal Ascot for Takeover Target's 2006 Group 1 King's Stand win, the superstar sprinter took him to many other parts of the world.

"I rode him in a lot of his work in Australia and went to Japan and Hong Kong with him," he said.

"It was one of the best jobs I've had in my life, he took us on an amazing trip around the world and there were a lot of people involved with him.

"At the end of the day I was just a trackwork rider that was able to ride the best horse in the world."

After doing a power of work from a wide barrier a fortnight ago in the Group 2 Dane Ripper (1300m), Pepper expects Opal Ridge to have a much nicer time of things under Tyler Schiller from barrier six on Saturday.

Such is her ability, Opal Ridge was one of the favourites for the Stradbroke Handicap but ultimately missed a run as one of the emergencies on the day.

"Who knows with the Stradbroke, it would have suited her well with a more genuine speed than what she got in the Dane Ripper," Pepper said.

"It was always going to be tough to get into the Stradbroke, but the Dane Ripper was a great lead-up race into the Tiara, that's the one we really focused on getting up here.

"I couldn't be happier with her, she has come through that first-up run really well up here and she has had a good week, worked well on the course proper on Tuesday and she's ready to go.

"The draw will help her and there looks to be some more genuine speed in the race on Saturday."

Eagle Farm Race 7  Form Guide WIN PLACE
Tattersall's Tiara (1400m)
16th 1  Electric Girl (2) Jaden Lloyd 57.0kg		23	21	23		21	19.5	24	21	21	21	21	21
12th 2  Kiku (13) Kerrin Mc Evoy 57.0kg		31	31	41		34	38	70	34	33	31	29	34
1st 3  Palaisipan (12) Kyle Wilson-Taylor 57.0kg		13	14	13		15	27	40	20	12.8	15	13	15
6th 4  Foxy Frida (16) Billy Egan 57.0kg		8.5	8	8		8	13.5	15.5	7.5	7.8	8.5	8	8
4th 5  Chain Of Lightning (5) Damien Thornton 57.0kg		9	8.5	8.5		8.5	7.4	8.4	8	8.1	8.5	8	8.5
2nd 6  Roots (6) Tim Clark 57.0kg		23	23	26		21	21	25	20	23	21	21	21
13th 7  Mirra Vision (14) Larry Cassidy 57.0kg		81	71	71		67	50	80	51	49	61	61	67
3rd 8  Chaillot (7) Ben E Thompson 57.0kg		11	10	12		10	11	11.5	10	10	10	10	10
11th 9  Lady Of Honour (1) James Orman 57.0kg		31	46	51		35	19.5	24	26	39	31	29	35
7th 10  Excelida (9) Celine Gaudray 57.0kg		71	61	81		61	55	140	61	71	61	61	61
8th 11  Comrade Rosa (3) Ryan Maloney 57.0kg		16	15	19		18	16.5	20	18	15	17	17	18
17th 12  Charmmebaby (10) Andrew Mallyon 57.0kg		126	101	151		101	90	320	101	101	101	101	101
14th 13  She's All Class (8) Jake Bayliss 57.0kg		34	34	41		35	21	40	34	34	34	34	35
15th 14  Tycoon Evie (11) Mark Du Plessis 57.0kg		151	101	151		101	100	1000	126	101	101	101	101
10th 15  Ruthless Dame (15) John Allen 55.5kg		4.8	4.8	4.8		4.8	6.4	7.8	5	4.85	5	4.8	4.8
5th 16  Opal Ridge (4) Tyler Schiller 55.5kg		4.2	4.2	4.4		4.2	3.8	3.95	4.4	4.6	4.2	4.4	4.2
9th 17  Revolutionary Miss (17) Joshua Parr 55.5kg		18	19	17		17	30	85	17	15.2	19	17	17
Market percentage		118	120	114		120	113	93	120	122	119	123	120
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