3 minute read
Saturday night at The Meadows sees the running of the Group One Sportsbet Zoom Top over the 730 metre distance for a mouth watering $75,000 to the winner. The invitational field is a who's who of Australia's best stayers.
The race brings together stayers from New South Wales in Cawbourne Magic, Stagger Out Lee and boom youngster Ritza Piper.The ever consistent Tsar Bell represents Western Australia having currently won four on end. Victoria is represented by Moraine Suzie the Top Gun Stayers Group One winner and also Albion Park Gold Cup winner Mepunga Ruby.
The field is rounded out by up and coming Victorian youngster Korda who ran a gallant second in the Gold Cup at Albion Park and the Daniel Gibbons trained group finalist Ariarne Bale who ran fourth in the Sale cup. It's hard to argue with the final field given the multitude of group winners. The cream will surely rise to the top Saturday night.
From the draw Cawbourne Magic and Moraine Suzie are perfectly drawn. Cawbourne Magic had won 6 on end before his shock third in the Summer Distance Plate at Wentworth Park. He has since been freshened and proven before during the Bold Trease that he can handle Victoria's tracks and different starting boxes.
Moraine Suszie hasn't been spotted since winning at The Meadows back in a special event race over the distance on the 21st of December last year. The daughter of My Redeemer has been a super consistent bitch and she will be fresh ahead of Saturday nights assignment. Trained by Brendan Pursell of McInerney fame she will be hard to beat.
Mepunga Ruby lands back in Victoria with a freshen up after her heat and final win in the Gold Cup at Albion Park and her and kennelmate Korda go into the race with quality form. Korda especially for such a young dog continues to frame himself into a good staying type and his best racing should be ahead of him over the next six months.
Stagger Out Lee has been at times unlucky since her last to first triumph in the Group One Bold Trease. She once again ran out of chances in the Gold Cup last week against Mepunga Ruby and the like. Jack Strutt will be hoping for a change of luck in running as she searches to find the form that brought her to Group One glory just a few months ago.
It could be a battle royale into the first turn with so many of the field blessed with early box speed. If trouble does loom it may set the race up for a back marker like Tsar Bell or Stagger Out Lee to weave a passage and collect the winners cheque. The Zoom Top appears as Race 6 Saturday night at The Meadows at 8.21pm.
