News

Zuma Roc breaks trainer Neil Walsh's city drought

1st Jan 2012

Sunday Herald Sun - Tim Habel - Sunday, 1 January 2011

MORNINGTON trainer Neil Walsh ended a city-win drought when Tasmanian Derby contender Zuma Roc scored a game victory at Moonee Valley last night.

Walsh, 30, has experienced a "rough couple of years". He said: "Anything that could go wrong has gone wrong."

But he has a promising stayer on his hands in Zuma Roc ($3.60) who came from last to break his maiden status when he outstayed Wetsouthwest ($3 fav) to score by a short head in the $100,000 New Year's Eve Classic Final (2040m).

"This is a huge thrill, I'm absolutely stoked. I've had city winners before but none at Saturday level," he said.

The listed $100,000 Tasmanian Derby (2200m) is on February 5 and last night's quinella horses could be headed for a return clash.

"We'll look at Tasmania, but we won't go to Adelaide. We want to look after him and give him a break before the spring," he said.

Zuma Roc is bred to be a quality galloper - he is by shuttle sire Rock Of Gibraltar out of the multiple city-winning mare Medium Swing and cost $70,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

"He's big and raw - he'll keep getting better," Walsh said.

CAULFIELD trainer Byron Cozamanis may have a surprise Blue Diamond Stakes runner in last night's Moonee Valley debut winner Repousser.

The former South Australian trainer said going on his trials he expected Repousser to be beaten for speed and be running on.

But Repousser ($12) was able to race just off the speed set by Infinite Fortune ($6), took charge early in the straight and held off Peter Snowden debut runner Belisama ($4) in the Chandler Macleod Plate (1000m).

"He's still in the Blue Diamond. We'll sit down tomorrow and have a talk about it," he said.

"He'd always shown us ability but he's been immature and I thought he might be more of a three-year-old."

A $52,500 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale buy, Repousser is by noted sprint sire Choisir out of the mare Spurn.

Flop of the race was Belisama's stablemate Persecution, backed from $3.30 to $2.80 favouritism.

The stablemates settled at the rear of the field but while Belisama ran on strongly, Persecution struggled into a distant fifth placing.