Gang assault on Classic

Williams to unleash trio of chargers on race he’s dominated

LLOYD Williams intends to gang-tackle the race named after his former star Zipping, the Zipping Classic, at Sandown Hillside on Saturday.

There were only nine nominations for the race and Williams has three: Almandin, The Taj Mahal and Assign.

“The Zipping Classic is a race I’m partial to for obvious reasons, being named after one of my favourite horses who won this race four times,” Williams said. Zipping won the race from 2007-10, prompting the Melbourne Race Club to rename the Sandown Classic.

Williams won the 2400m race in 2012 with Tanby and in 2003 with Legible.

Leading his assault is last year’s Melbourne Cup hero, Almandin, who finished 12th in this year’s race after starting equal favourite.

The owner said Almandin had recovered from his Melbourne Cup run.

“He wasn’t perfect after the race. We thought it was in his knees, but it was in his sacro(iliac joint, where the pelvis meets the spine),” Williams said. “He’s had a bit of treatment and he’s full of beans and we are thinking he will bounce back.”

Regular jockey Damien Oliver will regain the mount after he returns from suspension on Friday night.

Williams said imported galloper The Taj Mahal, who ran fourth in the Emirates Stakes on Saturday’s, was also likely to run in the Group 2 race.

“Only provision is that I will monitor him to see how he pulled up from last Saturday on the hard track. If he’s not affected, he’ll start,” he said.

The Taj Mahal will be ridden by Ben Melham Assign by Kerrin McEvoy.

Assign hasn’t started since his fifth place in the Herbert Power Stakes, when Williams said he struggled with the firm track at Caulfield. Williams said he felt the tracks were too firm at both of the Caulfield carnival meetings.

Other Classic nominations include Melbourne Cup fourth placegetter Big Duke. and