3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 1 Kia Ora Galaxy won by Zapateo at Rosehill on Saturday.

Race Result:

1st: Zapateo (J Cummings/K McEvoy) - $26
2nd: Sunshine In Paris (A Neasham/J Collett) - $5.50F
3rd: Front Page (M Dale/T Schiller) - $13

Winning Time: 1:02.95 Last 600m: 33.85

Margins: Head x Long Head

It’s Zapateo’s G1 Galaxy at Rosehill!@aus_turf_club @JamesCummings88 @godolphin @KPMcEvoy pic.twitter.com/iwDcbdRiLb

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 23, 2024

Winning Trainer: James Cummings

On the significance of a Group 1 win for Zapateo: "It's so important for Zapateo. She's a phenomenal racehorse by Brazen Beau and she just needed that Group 1 on her CV.

"She was very good first up, I know she was beaten by Kallos but we had great faith that there was improvement in her and a month into the weight-for-age run in the Challenge last start, she was good.

"She beat home the stablemate (Aft Cabin) who was the tip horse out of the stable.

"Kerrin gave her the run of the race and it makes all the difference in a handicap.

On how he watched the race: "It seemed to me that a lot went wrong for Aft Cabin, he was put out of the race by some interference there early and just got dragged way too far back.

"But when Zapateo was able to make her own luck, she was in that second line of the speed horses, Kerrin had her travelling sweetly and she was looming up as a massive chance.

"You just had to have full faith in the horse. She's had the runs, she's had the right prep and her fitness got her over the line.

"Now she's got the Group 1 on her CV which is just huge for her and huge for the farm. Everyone is going to be rapt about that."

Winning Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy

On the win: "Good training effort from James. He picked this race out, she ran a brilliant race in the Challenge and got in with a nice weight today. She's just a tough, genuine and talented filly.

"Good job for them to get some Black Type and win the Group 1 and it was a good win by her.

"She jumped out into a beautiful spot, I travelled like the winner the whole way - I thought 'wow I'm in a dream position here' - but they left me a bit at the top of the lane and I was a tiny bit worried and then 100 yards later when I got after her she hit into overdrive and away she went.

"I Changed hands, pulled the stick through and she said, 'righto, game on' and she powered to the line.

Thoughts with his son: "I want to give a shout-out to my boy Charlie. He broke his wrist playing football this morning, so he's missed out on a Group 1 with Nash and Group 1 with me. He'll be flat as a tack but hopefully he's back on the mend."

On winning a Group 1 40 minutes after finishing 2nd in the Slipper: "I was happy, but a bit flat running second in the Slipper and I got the gates and said to myself, 'right, focus, don't sit there and rue on the race before'."

On whether he thought he had the Slipper won: "At the 300 or the 250 I thought, 'I'm home', a furlong out I thought I was home but that thing just bloused me the last bit.

"It was a great training effort by Matt."

Beaten Jockeys:

Nash Rawiller (Private Eye): "I think he has got on two tracks that have been shifty. He hasn't been able to get a great grip of them. He hasn't performed with the same confidence he normally would. He is not able to make his own luck like he normally would as he's not getting up under me and travelling like he normally would. I don't think anything went right for us today. I think he's on track for the big race."

Damian Lane (Uncommon James): "He tried hard. Honest horse, just couldn't quite keep galloping on that solid tempo. Something for him this prep."

James McDonald (Aft Cabin): "He just copped interference everywhere."

Dylan Gibbons (Buenos Noches): "I think he went better than it looked. I'd like to see him at Randwick not Rosehill."

Tom Marquand (Kallos): "Just ended up behind the scrimmaging early. Battled on well to the line."

Tommy Berry (Remarque): "He just needed to flow into it a bit earlier than we did. An honest effort."

Tim Clark (Asfoora): "She did a great job from the widest gate. If she drew softer she was in the finish."

Jordan Childs (Passive Aggressive): "She ran really well. The fast pace took us off the bridle earlier than we would have liked."

Jason Collett (Sunshine In Paris): "Great run. Felt like the winner but not in time."

Rachel King (Ozzmosis): "I don't think he had any feet on the ground when the gates opened. His head was somewhere between his legs so the race was over."

Tyler Schiller (Front Page): "Massive run. He is one of my favourites. Good to see him get a placing on the board in a G1."

Jamie Kah (King's Gambit): "Not comfortable at all today. As soon as he gets pressure he loses 3 or 4 lengths. He ran OK but not the way the race was run."

Zac Lloyd (Derry Grove): No comment