Small Fry to have final start for O'Brien in Zipping Classic
Trainer Joseph O'Brien, despite a challenging period with his major Spring Carnival runners, is preparing for one last contender at Sandown next Saturday.
The final participant from O'Brien's Melbourne spring campaign will be Small Fry, competing in the $750,000 Zipping Classic. This Group 2 contest over 2400 metres signifies Small Fry's last run under O'Brien's care before he moves to the Phillip and Tommy Stokes stable, and the trainer is hoping for a winning farewell.
"He's going to run in the Zipping, he had a nice run at Geelong obviously and that's the plan for him," O'Brien confirmed.
"He's owned by OTI, Terry Henderson and the team there, and we love working with the guys and it would be nice if he could finish off the couple of weeks here on good note."
O'Brien housed nine horses at the Werribee quarantine facility this spring, with five of them competing in the Melbourne Cup. The team's strongest performance came from Sons And Lovers, which finished in fourth place.
Defiantly, a former favourite for the Melbourne Cup, finished fourth in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) on Saturday, his only start this campaign, having missed the Cup.
Small Fry secured O'Brien's best result of the spring when finishing second in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m). He was beaten a narrow half-length by Point Of Law, who went on to win the Melbourne Cup in his subsequent start.
O'Brien light-heartedly admitted to choosing the wrong preparation race when aiming for a Melbourne Cup start with Small Fry in the Geelong Cup, but noted it proved the horse's current capability.
"We picked the wrong prep," O'Brien said, laughing.
"But he seems in good form anyway. We don't do a lot with him, but he seems in good form and it looks like a nice spot for him."
Small Fry is expected to face stiff opposition at Sandown. Ciaron Maher is contemplating runs for Juja Kibo and Middle Earth, the Melbourne Cup placegetters from the last two years, and last year's Zipping Classic winner, She's A Hustler, is also expected to participate.
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