News

Zipping out to emulate Omagh

3rd Oct 2010

Old marvel Zipping joined a rarefied list when teaching younger rivals a lesson in winning today’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.

Most horses his age are well past their use by date on the racecourse, but ZIPPING ($190,000 2003 Easter, 9g Danehill-Social Scene) has reaped his biggest dividends in 2010, with this win following his Group 1 breakthrough in the Australian Cup in March.

The Lloyd Williams owned galloper was the oldest Group 1 winner in Australia last season and as a nine-year-old, he emulates Takeover Target’s deeds of winning the T.J. Smith Stakes and Goodwood at the same age two seasons back.

Zipping becomes Danehill’s second Turnbull winner, following fellow Easter graduate Elvstroem in 2004. It adds a new success to the remarkable story of Danehill, who had his first Group 1 success in this country some 16 years ago via Danzero’s Golden Slipper.

Zipping, who gives Williams repeat wins in the Turnbull after Efficient last year, is now on target for a fourth crack at the Cox Plate, a race in which he has placed twice previously.

"He's a marvel. He really is. He's won two Group Ones now - one when he's eight and one when he's nine. And he's not finished yet," Williams’ son Nick said.

"Dad's been very keen to give the horse the ideal preparation for (the Cox Plate) and see if he can do a Fields Of Omagh," Williams said.

Melbourne Premier Sale graduate Fields Of Omagh won the Cox Plate as a nine-year-old in 2006 after first winning the famous weight-for-age race three years earlier.