The Zipping Classic meeting will be held at Sandown – Hillside on Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with light showers in Melbourne leading up to the weekend, Sandown is likely to be racing on a slightly Soft track on raceday.
Gallic Chieftain is looking for his first win this campaign and will have conditions to suit in Saturday’s Sandown Cup (Melbourne Race 3, 3200m). The 5YO has been rather consistent this Spring with a 3rd in the Herbert Power before beaten by a nose by Vengeur Masque in the Geelong Cup. And Vengeur Masque has since franked the form by taking out last Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes where Gallic Chieftain finished 5th after being tightened for room shortly after the start and dropped back to last. Gallic Chieftain is hard fit and can handle any track conditions and he will be more tractable with the application of tongue tie on Saturday. The Sandown Cup has a small field so the stallion shouldn’t be too far off the lead and with the long Sandown straight, expect to see Gallic Chieftain running over the top of this field.
The Darren Weir-trained 5YO Big Duke is primed to take out the Zipping Classic on Saturday (Melbourne Race 7, 2400m). The 6YO has been putting his staying prowess on display this campaign with victory in the St Leger Stakes (2600m) and a 2nd in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m). Last start in the Melbourne Cup, Big Duke was the first Aussie horse home when 4th behind the three Irish placegetters. And the Melbourne Cup form has stacked-up in the Zipping Classic plenty of times in recent history with nine of the past 10 winners coming off the famous two mile race. Weir is going to put blinkers on the gelding to sharpen him up for the drop back in distance in the Zipping Classic. Big Duke can handle any track conditions and from barrier 3, Damian Lane will settle the gelding mid-field on the fence and Big Duke will be full of running in the straight.
The Godolphin-owned Beau Geste looks the testing material in the Sandown Guineas (Melbourne Race 8, 1600m). The Street Cry 3YO wasn’t beaten far in his first 2 runs in Melbourne this Spring before stepping up to the mile on Derby day. Over 1600m, he finished up with an eye-catching 4th in the Carbine Club Stakes, coming from 15th at the 400m to be beaten only half a length. The mile is his go and from barrier 4, Beau Geste will settle somewhere mid-field with plenty of cover. With the long Sandown straight, Beau Geste will be able to utilise his strong turn of foot and he will be hard to hold out.
By Owens Wong, Editor
