Warrnambool Day 1 – May 3rd

Cally Hotel Maiden Hurdle

(Maiden SW Hurdle - 3200m)

Post Race Details & Comments

Winning Horse: Count Zero (NZ)

7yoG Zed (NZ) - My Duchess (NZ)(Volksraad (GB))

40 starts - 6 wins 4 seconds 6 thirds 6 fourths $307910

Other Wins

1st Warrnambool Lady Vandeburg (Bm70) 3300m (2022)

1st Warrnambool Haymes Paint Jericho Cup 4600m (2020)

1st Cranbourne Procon Developments (Bm64) 2520m (2019)

1st Ararat T.M. Slattery Willaura Cup-58 2000m (2019)

1st Swan Hill Tac Be Races Ready Mdn Plate 2100m (2018)

Other Placings

3rd Sandown-Hillside Ladbrokes Back Yourself (Bm84) 3000m (2020)

3rd Moonee Valley Distinctive Floor Cover.-Bm84 3000m (2020)

2nd Moonee Valley Lipton Kombucha (Bm64) 3000m (2020)

3rd Sandown-Lakeside Ladbrokes Back Yourself (Bm64) 2400m (2020)

2nd Geelong Iga Liquor St Leonards (Bm58) 2400m (2019)

2nd Hamilton Vale Geoff Handbury Ao (Bm58) 2200m (2019)

2nd Stawell Stawell Windows And Glass-Bm64 2700m (2019)

3rd Geelong No Fuss Event Hire Hwt (Bm58) 2455m (2019)

3rd Mildura Hygain Mdn Plate 2000m (2018)

3rd Warrnambool Warrnambool Greyhound R.C. Mdn 1700m (2018)

Race Result:

1st: Count Zero (Will Gordon/Simon Wilde) - $2.70 fav

2nd: Mighty Oasis (Aaron Mitchell/Andrew Bobbin) - $6
3rd:
 Zoffany Rocket (Chris McCarthy/Eric Musgrove) - $26

Winning Time: 3:42.61 Last 600m: NA

Margins: Short Neck x 7 Lengths

Winning Trainer: Simon Wilde

On winning today’s race: “That’s a relief, we can probably relax a bit now. We’d planned this for a while. We said to the owners we’d like to jump him, but we’d only do it if we thought he was very good at it and he enjoyed it and he has.”

On Count Zero as a jumper“He did a lot of schooling last year and I think that stood him in really good stead for today.

“He’s got a lot of jumping miles behind him and he’s a great horse to have here at Warrnambool with Jericho Cups and jumping, he’s got many options, which is great for staying horses.”

On the tight finish: “I thought the horse (Mighty Oasis) coming up on the inside had him, but we know he’s a superior stayer.

“New Zealand-bred, tough horses, I love training them. I love having them come here year after year.”

 Winning Jockey: Will Gordon

On the race: “It was a bit of a muddling old race. The leader rolled along then put the brakes on and we just let him roll along where he was happy. I was more than happy to just let the horse be in his comfort zone and he was too good in the end. He’s a tough bugger.”

On his history at Warrnambool: “We know his form over the hill speaks for itself and I think the fact that it (Warrnambool track) is something different, it really switches his mind on.

“You see with these jumps horses, a lot of them are ex-good flat horses but they get a bit bored of the flat and I think he’s one of them.

“His flat form is still good but jumping just really brings him into his element.

On the tight finish: “I was a bit worried, he (Mighty Oasis) was coming at a rate of knots but my fella fought him off as much as he probably weakened a bit the last half furlong or so. He’s tough as nails, my lad.”