RACING Williams chases Zipping
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, which prompted the Melbourne Race Club to rename the Sandown Classic.
Williams won the 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.
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.”
His regular jockey Damien Oliver will regain the mount after returning from suspension on Friday night. Williams said imported galloper The Taj Mahal, who was fourth in the Emirates Stakes, was also likely to run. “Only provision is that I will monitor him to see how he pulled up from last Saturday on the hard track, and if he’s not fully affected, he’ll start,” he said.
Williams said The Taj Mahal would be ridden by Ben Melham and Assign by Kerrin McEvoy. Assign hasn’t started since his fifth in the Herbert Power Stakes and Williams said he struggled with the firm Caulfield track in the spring carnival.
Williams said he felt the tracks were too firm at both of the Caulfield meetings.
Other Zipping Classic nominations include Darren Weir’s Melbourne Cup fourth placegetter Big Duke.
NR VR