Rex Lipp to quit if he wins Group 1 JJ Atkins with Cifrado

Toowoomba trainer Rex Lipp (pictured with Damien Thornton) says he will retire on the spot if Cifrado wins Saturday’s Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm. Picture: Grant Peters–Trackside Photography.

Salt of the earth Toowoomba trainer Rex Lipp says he will retire on the spot if his outstanding two-year-old Cifrado scores Saturday's $1m Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm.

The 75-year-old Lipp already boasts two career Group 1 triumphs but said victory on Saturday would be the icing on the cake of his training career which kicked off in 1989.

Lipp has considered retirement on several occasions in the last decade, most notably around the time Tinto won the 2014 Group 1 Queensland Oaks.

But he said he would walk away into the sunset if his classy two-year-old colt Cifrado makes it a hat-trick of wins and claims the JJ Atkins (1600m) on Stradbroke Handicap day.

"I will pull the pin straight away if this horse can win on Saturday," Lipp chuckled.

"Star Shiraz was a terrific horse, I won the Sires' Produce with that horse back in 2004 when it was a Group 1 race.

"Until now, that horse was probably the best two year-old that I have had.

"But I would now consider Cifrado to be the best."

Cifrado and Damien Thornton survived a protest hearing to win the $1m Sires' Produce at Eagle Farm. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography

Lipp's retirement pledge – should Cifrado win – is reminiscent of what Kiwi jockey Leith Innes did in last year's Queensland winter carnival.

Innes quietly retired on the spot after producing one of the finest rides of his career when winning the Group 1 Queensland Derby on Pinarello.

Cifrado, a $320,000 son of Encryption, has been a fabulous two-year-old performer for Lipp and already won almost $900,000 in prizemoney.

He has won Group 2 races in his last two starts, having to ward off a sixth versus first protest in the Sires' Produce Stakes.

Connections of sixth-placed Peter and Paul Snowden-trained runner Make A Call lodged an unsuccessful objection after Cifrado's jockey Damien Thornton had shifted in and caused interference approaching the last 50m.

Paul Snowden insists Make A Call should have won that day – but Lipp won't hear of it.

"That other horse was never going to beat us," Lipp said.

"I have watched the replay three or four times.

"My horse was going as good as the other horse and I do believe Blake Shinn (who rode Make A Call) overreacted.

"I thought it was minor interference and that was probably proven when stewards only suspended my jockey for eight days in a $1m race.

"In big races like the JJ Atkins, you need to have luck in running.

"The good thing with my colt is we can put him where he likes to be.

"He likes to half fall asleep in his races and then get home strongly."

Cifrado, with Thornton riding again, has drawn barrier seven in the JJ Atkins and is rated a $13 chance with TAB fixed odds.