Duke De Sessa in shape for Zipping Classic honours
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will be out to add a second Zipping Classic to the trophy cabinet when Duke De Sessa lines up at Caulfield.
The multi-state trainers collected the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) with Southern France when the race was run at Sandown, a week after the conclusion of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The 2021 Zipping Classic, won for a second time by the Mike Moroney-trained Sound, was moved to Caulfield and run two weeks later than it had been previously, and Saturday’s running will be the third at its new home, and date.
Duke De Sessa is an Irish-bred import who will be lining up for his sixth Australian start on Saturday.
The five-year-old entire made his Australian debut in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick in April and was immediately put away for the spring.
Upon resumption, Duke De Sessa contested three Group 1 races – the Memsie Stakes, the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup – acquitting himself well before a last start third behind Muramasa in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington.
Southern France came to Australia for the 2019 Melbourne Cup and finished 19th, returning 11 days later to win the Zipping Classic under Mark Zahra.
Zahra will ride Duke De Sessa on Saturday, the first time the dual Melbourne Cup winning jockey has been aboard the galloper under race conditions.
Maher took Duke De Sessa to Caulfield on Tuesday for another look at the track and said the stayer appears spot on for Saturday’s contest.
“His fitness is pretty good,” Maher said.
“Mark will ride and will probably roll forward. He hasn’t had a taxing spring. He’s holding his condition relatively well.”
Maher said there was excuses for Duke De Sessa last start when behind Muramasa, an opponent again on Saturday.
“We were very happy with his last run,” Maher said.
“He got held up a couple of times at crucial stages. Whether that made a difference or not, but with a better run on Saturday, I would say he’ll be thereabouts.”
More Racing News
The Kosciuszko aim for Elson Boy?
Elson Boy is in a rich vein of form of late, winning his fifth race in a row last start at Scone on their feature Saturday meeting and trainer Dar Lunn is keen to see what heights the gelding can reach in the Spring. Bought for just $6000, Elson Boy took a while...
Barbaric Lad to test his spring hopes in JJ Atkins Stakes
A slightly smaller field along with a middle barrier draw is expected to suit the Anthony and S Freedman-trained Barbaric Lad in his first Group 1 assignment. Sam Freedman has plenty of time for the colt by Brutal who will be having his first attempt at 1600m when he runs in the JJ...
Gelding to bring out best in Earlswood
Maddie Raymond is banking on a gelding operation producing the best from Earlswood. The UK-bred galloper arrived in Australia in late 2021 and immediately made an impact, taking out the Group 3 Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield in February 2022. In eight starts since, Earlswood has not troubled the scorers with a best...
Forgotten King edging to a return
Dual Listed race winner All The King’s Men is a strong chance to return for the upcoming spring and summer carnival, according to trainer Trevor Andrews. The five-year-old won last year’s WA Breeders Stakes (1400m) and Lex Piper Stakes (1600m) at Pinjarra and Ascot respectively and has spent almost 12 months...
Huetor set to target The Q22
The Q22 wasn’t originally on the winter carnival program for Huetor, but the dual group 1 winner has responded so well to a short freshen-up that co-trainer Peter Snowden has had a change of heart. Snowden planned to bypass the Q22 (2200m) this year given Huetor had finished unplaced in the past...
Stradbroke Handicap 2024 mount reward for hard work
Jockey Will Price has been rewarded for his work with the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman stable by picking up the ride aboard Roll On High in the Stradbroke Handicap. Roll On High earned a start in the Group 1 contest over 1400m at Eagle Farm on Saturday after taking out the Group 3 Fred...
Maher filly knocks their Socks off in the Queensland Oaks
Ciaron Maher and Ryan Maloney have combined to orchestrate a major upset in the Queensland Oaks, winning it with one of the rank outsiders of the Group One field. Starting at $101, Socks Nation stalked the speed before hitting the front at the top of the straight then raising another effort to beat off...
Eliyass puts a spring in jockey Tim Clarkâs step
Tim Clark says French import Eliyass has the scope to make his presence felt in the spring after dominating at his Australian debut in the Lord Mayors Cup at Randwick. While many former European horses take a preparation to acclimatise to local conditions, the five-year-old made an immediate impact. Trailing the solid tempo set...
Virtuous Circle breaks long drought at Flemington races
Trainer Liam Howley says criticism of the time between wins for Virtuous Circle is unjustified after the gelding returned to winning form at Flemington. Virtuous Circle registered his first win in more than 650 days when taking out the RDA Daylesford Lesley Hewitt Trophy (2000m) on Saturday. The four-year-old last tasted success in August...
Alysha Collett lifts Mnementh in Bob Charley AO Stakes
Three weeks ago, Mitchell Beer feared the racing career of Mnementh might be over. Instead, the tenacious gelding has delivered the young trainer his first stakes win since his relocation to Kembla Grange last year. Beer had high hopes for the sprinter in the Luskin Star Stakes at Scone last start but the horse...