In his 15th attempt at Group 1 glory, veteran galloper Zipping claimed his well deserved and long awaited maiden Group 1 success at Flemington on Saturday in the $1million Darley Australian Cup (2000m), albeit by only a nose!
Ridden by in-form jockey Nicholas Hall, who copped a $1000 fine for excessive whip use by Racing Victoria Stewards, Zipping ($6) secured a devastatingly close victory a mere nose ahead of Sirmione ($7.50) with roughie Moatize ($31) finishing third ahead of the odds-on favourite Heart Of Dreams ($5) in fourth place.
Second and third placegetters Sirmione and Moatize are both prepared by master trainer Bart Cummings and came close to giving the Cups King double Group 1 success at the meeting following his first victory in the Group 1 Australian Guineas with Rock Classic.
If Sirmione hadn’t gone down by racing’s shortest possible margin, it would have been the Encosta De Lago gelding’s second Australian Cup success following his win in 2008. It was also a noteworthy run by stablemate Moatize who pushed on from last to a gallant third.
Cumming’s is sending Sirmione and Moatize to Sydney next to contest this Saturday’s $400, 000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.
The victory gave Hall his fourth Group 1 win of the autumn and Zipping’s trainer Robert Hickmott the first Group 1 victory of his career.
The 2010 Australian Cup was contested by 14 horses following the untimely death of David Hayes’ Our Aqaleem last week and the scratching of Mark Kavanagh’s Melbourne Cup winner Shocking after his hoof abscess worsened the morning before the race.
Eight-year-old Danehill gelding Zipping, a dual runner-up in the Group 1 Cox Plate and triple Group 2 Sandown Classic champion, has now won 14 of his 41 career starts for over $3.3million in prizemoney.
Despite Saturday’s win Zipping will not contest any of the Sydney Autumn Carnival features this year, with Hickmott opting instead to send the great old galloper to the paddock for a well earned spell.
Other highlights at Flemington on Saturday included Lord Tavistock’s shock win in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m), and the Group 3 Matron Stakes (1600m) won by brilliant filly Response.
2010 Darley Australian Cup Results
| Place | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZIPPING | Robert Hickmott | Nicholas Hall |
| 2 | SIRMIONE | Bart Cummings | Luke Nolen |
| 3 | MOATIZE | Bart Cummings | Clare Lindop |
| 4 | HEART OF DREAMS | Mick Price | Craig Newitt |
| 5 | LITTORIO | Nigel Blackiston | Craig Williams |
| 6 | DIVINE REBEL (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Sebastian Murphy |
| 7 | MISS MAREN (NZ) | Mick Price | Danny Nikolic |
| 8 | MASTER O’REILLY (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | James Winks |
| 9 | EXTRA ZERO | David Hayes | Glen Boss |
| 10 | TOBIQUE | Allan Denham | Mark Zahara |
| 11 | GROWL (NZ) | David Hayes | Steven Arnold |
| 12 | ZAGREB | David Hayes | Paul Gait |
| 13 | ZARITA (NZ) | Pat Hyland | Dwayne Dunn |
| 14 | BARBARICUS | Danny O’Brien | Kerrin McEvoy |
| SCR | OUR AQALEEM | ||
| SCR | SHOCKING | ||
