This weekend at Sandown Racecourse the last of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival features will play out including the Zipping Classic 2014.
Fawkner leads nominations for Saturday’s Zipping Classic. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia
Nominations for the $350,000 Group 2 Deadly Design Zipping Classic (2400m) have been extended until 10am (AEDT) on Tuesday following the entry of only 13 gallopers in the weight-for-age clash.
Three of the original nominees come from the stables of trainer Robert Hickmott and Macedon Lodge’s head owner Lloyd Williams whose four-time winner of the race Zipping (2007-10) the event is named after.
This year Hickmott’s number one nomination is Cox Plate runner-up Fawkner, last year’s Caulfield Cup champ out to improve on a Melbourne Cup 10th after getting swamped late in the November 4 classic.
Also in the mix are 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon back after a virus saw him miss this year’s edition of ‘The Race That Stops a Nation’ and Sea Moon, also withdrawn from Melbourne Cup calculations this year.
Another Melbourne Cup graduate along with Reset seven-year-old Fawkner nominated for the Zipping Classic on Saturday is then the Andre Fabre-trained French raider Au Revoir.
The European galloper debuted down under with a third to the Darren Weir-trained Prince Of Penzance in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) on October 25 before finishing 11 lengths away eighth to ’s Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist.
Another international Zipping Classic hope this weekend is then the Kingsclere-based British visitor Lord Van Percy.
Prepared by Andrew Balding the Sir Percy gelding was runner-up to Mutual Regard in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on October 11 before being balloted out of the Melbourne Cup field.
He was to have had a shot at the Melbourne Cup ballot exemption in the Lexus Stakes on Derby Day but was a late scratching due to a lame off-foreleg that seems to have sorted itself out since.
The aforementioned Moonee Valley Cup winner Prince Of Penzance will get another shot at defeating Au Revoir this weekend too as the Pentire gelding backs up in the Zipping.
He raced last weekend at Flemington in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m), won by runner-up in the MV Cup Le Roi, and Weir believes him capable of a short turnaround here were a softer Sandown track will suit.
Other notable Zipping Classic hopes this spring include Michael Kent’s consistent mare Epingle coming off a Moonee Valley Cup fourth from last month, SA Derby runner-up from May Scratchy Bottom, and the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Spillway coming off a fourth to Happy Trailsi n the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) from November 1.
See below for the current Zipping Classic entries with the final field and barrier draw due out on Wednesday morning.
Also out Wednesday will be all the weekend’s top racing odds at Ladbrokes.com.au making now the right time to with the country’s fastest growing bookmaker!
2014 Zipping Classic Nominations
Sandown Racecourse – 15/11/2014
| # | Horse | Trainer | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AU REVOIR (IRE) | Andre Fabre | 103 |
| 2 | COUNT OF LIMONADE (IRE) | Mick Price | 98 |
| 3 | EPINGLE (NZ) | Michael Kent | 102 |
| 4 | FAWKNER | Robert Hickmott | 115 |
| 5 | GREEN MOON (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | 111 |
| 6 | LORD VAN PERCY (GB) | Andrew Balding | 100 |
| 7 | PRINCE OF PENZANCE (NZ) | Darren Weir | 104 |
| 8 | RAWNAQ | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | 81 |
| 9 | RIALYA | Matt Laurie | 85 |
| 10 | SCRATCHY BOTTOM | Michael Kent | 80 |
| 11 | SEA MOON (GB) | Robert Hickmott | 104 |
| 12 | SPILLWAY (GB) | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | 103 |
| 13 | SUR (NZ) | Michael Moroney | 86 |
