This Saturday the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival action draws to a close at Sandown Hillside with the day’s racing headlined by the Zipping Classic 2012 – the Races.com.au team’s exclusive form analysis and betting guide for which is detailed below.

Mourayan is out to become the eighth Zipping Classic winner in the past 12 years to win
Set to jump at 3:30pm (AEST) as Sandown Race 6 the $350,000 Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) may have drawn just nine acceptors but there is plenty of talent in the mix.
The Robert Hickmott-trained Mourayan, drawn in barrier one with Hugh Bowman to ride, has opened top of the Zipping Classic odds at a quote of $2.40, the Alhaarth seven-year-old set to appreciate the drop back in class and distance after their game seventh to Green Moon in the Melbourne Cup last start.
Other top fancies in the 2012 Zipping Classic betting markets then include Victoria Derby third placed Rawnaq ($6), consistent six-year-old mare Exceptionally ($6.50), Mourayan’s stablemate Tanby ($7.50) coming off a third in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes from last Saturday and the Bart Cummings-trained Precedence ($8) who ran ninth in the Melbourne Cup.
So this is what the betting markets say but which horses should you lock into the Zipping Classic exotics this weekend according to the race form guide and betting history.
See below for the must know Zipping Classic facts to help you back a winner at bookmaker.com.au this weekend!
2012 Zipping Classic Form Facts & Betting Stats
- Last year’s Zipping Classic winner Americain came via a fourth in the Melbourne Cup, was ridden by Gerald Mosse and jumped from barrier five (of 5)
- This year there are two Zipping Classic hopefuls coming via the Melbourne Cup with #1 Mourayan ($2.40) and #2 Precedence ($8) who ran seventh and ninth respectively – good form with six of the past 13 Zipping Classic winners (including four of the past five) to have run in the Melbourne Cup beforehand
- Wearing the #1 saddlecloth also works in Mourayan’s favour as four of the past five Sandown Classic winners carried that cloth
- #1 Mourayan is also the favourite in the Zipping Classic odds and seven of the past 11 winners jumped as the punters’ pick
- Last year’s winning barrier (5) meanwhile belongs this year to #5 Garud ($8.50) who comes off a second over 2800m in a Melbourne Cup Day feature
- The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #3 Tanby ($7.50) with 34.78% followed by #5 Garud (27.27%) and #6 Umatic (22.22%)
- #5 Garud ($8.50) then boasts the best Place Percentage with an impressive 90.91% (11-3-5-2) followed by #3 Tanby (65.22%), #1 Mourayan (51.52%) and #9 Rawnaq (50.00%)
- No horse has won at the track before but those with the best record at Sandown are #1 Mourayan (2-0-0-2), #5 Garud (2-0-0-1) and #7 Exceptionally (3-0-1-1)
- Over the distance horses with previous winning form are #2 Precedence (8-2-1-1), #3 Tanby (4-1-2-1), #5 Garud (2-1-1-0) and #8 Dame Claire (4-2-0-1)
- While they haven’t won over the mile and a half yet #1 Mourayan (7-0-3-2) has a very good place rate over the 2400m including their third to Americain last year
- Horses to be ridden by a former Zipping / Sandown Classic winning jockey this year are #3 Tanby (Nicholas Hall – Zipping, 2010) and #2 Precedence (Blake Shinn – Count Ricardo, 2004)
- Two horses are then prepared by a former Zipping / Sandown Classic winning trainer with the Robert Hickmott-trained duo of #1 Mourayan and #2 Precedence – Hickmott prepared the mighty Zipping for the last two of his four wins (2009-10)
- The last three-year-old to win the Zipping Classic was Count Ricardo (2004) who was the first of their age to do so in 3YO years
- Count Ricardo came off a third in the Victoria Derby before their Sandown Classic upset and this year #9 Rawnaq ($6) will look to be the next 3YO to win the feature having also run third in the Derby
Stay tuned to Races.com.au for our insider Zipping Classic tips to be published before race day.
Already have your favourites for the weekend’s feature race picked out and ready to lock in? Get them at the best prices now online at bookmaker.com.au – home of the exclusive Quickbet function allowing you to place your bets in three easy clicks!
2012 Zipping Classic Field & Form Guide
Sandown Race 6 – 3:30pm (AEST) – 17/11/2012
# | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | AS | Days | API | Career | W% | P% | Last 6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | MOURAYAN | Robert Hickmott | Hugh Bowman | 1 | 59 | 7yoH | 11 | $49,395 | 33: 4 8 5 | 12.12% | 51.52% | 9×4217 |
2. | PRECEDENCE | J B Cummings | Blake Shinn | 3 | 59 | 7yoG | 11 | $25,577 | 45: 7 5 1 | 15.56% | 28.89% | 410649 |
3. | TANBY | Robert Hickmott | Nicholas Hall | 7 | 59 | 6yoG | 7 | $19,776 | 23: 8 3 4 | 34.78% | 65.22% | 484103 |
4. | HE’S HOT TO TROT | M J Whittle | Dominic Tourneur | 6 | 59 | 6yoG | 14 | $2,824 | 33: 4 5 8 | 12.12% | 51.52% | 063223 |
5. | GARUD | M D Moroney | Kerrin Mc Evoy | 5 | 59 | 5yoG | 11 | $6,401 | 11: 3 5 2 | 27.27% | 90.91% | 232212 |
6. | UMATIC | Shawn Mathrick | Dwayne Dunn | 4 | 59 | 6yoG | 8 | $2,400 | 18: 4 0 2 | 22.22% | 33.33% | 474045 |
7. | EXCEPTIONALLY | T and K O’sullivan | Dean Yendall | 8 | 57 | 6yoM | 14 | $12,516 | 34: 4 4 6 | 11.76% | 41.18% | 123373 |
8. | DAME CLAIRE | P G Carey | Peter Mertens | 9 | 57 | 5yoM | 14 | $9,384 | 31: 6 2 3 | 19.35% | 35.48% | 081355 |
9. | RAWNAQ | D A Hayes | Chad Schofield (a) | 2 | 50.5 | 3yoC | 14 | $25,135 | 6: 1 1 1 | 16.67% | 50.00% | 162703 |
*All odds quoted are Fixed Win from bookmaker.com.au & subject to change
*Form Guide Credit – [sportsbet]