The Lindsay Park trained Rising Romance has been installed as the new favourite for the Group 2 $300,000 Quayclean Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown on Saturday following the scratching of Dandino.
Dandino has been scratched from the Zipping Classic at Sandown. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Darren Weir’s rejuvenated stayer Dandino was the early pre-post favourite at $3.20 when he was withdrawn at one o’clock Melbourne time on Friday afternoon due to a reoccurrence of a suspensory ligament injury.
Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au reshaped the market order with Rising Romance now the new top pick at $2.80 in the seven horse field just ahead of Weir’s other Zipping Classic acceptor Tall Ship at $3.70 and the Chris Waller trained Who Shot Thebarman at $3.90.
Dandino was back in the winner’s stall last Saturday for the first time since winning the US$225,000 American St. Leger Stakes (2714m) at Arlington in the USA on August 17, 2013, but he was out of action for almost twelve months because of injury.
Part owners Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock sent the well travelled English stayer to Weir in the hope that he could bring him back from a severe suspensory ligament injury.
The Melbourne Cup winning trainer not only got Dandino back to the race track but the nine year stallion was able to win the Group 3 $300,000 Queen’s Cup (2600m) at Flemington at his sixth run for the Weir stable.
Weir had tried to qualify Dandino for the Melbourne Cup and was hoping to win the Group 3 $300,000 Geelong Cup (2400m) at Geelong and gain a penalty for the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington last Tuesday.
Dandino could only manage to run second to Almoonqith in the Geelong Cup and missed out on a Melbourne Cup berth but Weir was happy that he could win the Queen’s Cup.
New Zipping Classic favourite Rising Romance is on trial for a trip to Hong Kong to run the Group 1 HK$25m Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on December 13 but has to perform well to secure a berth
“She has drawn the outside barrier at Sandown as well, but our theory is if she runs well, we will take up the invite to go to Hong Kong,” Hayes told the Herald Sun.
“But if she doesn’t run a really good race, we will miss Hong Kong and instead set her for the autumn.”
“She ran so well on the back-up from the Caulfield Cup to the Mackinnon and she’ll have a month break to the big race over there.”
If you fancy a bet on the Zipping Classic at Sandown on Saturday, you can get over the odds if you take advantage of Ladbrokes Zipping Classic Special Offer. [ladbrokes] are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on the Zipping Classic, which means an additional 20% on your winnings up to a maximum bet of $50.
Rising Romance was in season when she finished down the track for a thirteenth to Mongolian Khan in the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 17 but was back in the prizemoney last start with a half length second to Gailo Chop in the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 31.
Who Shot Thebarman has been freshened up since finishing a luckless eleventh behind Prince Of Penzance in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3 and the all conquering Waller stable expects the seven year old to be right in the finish in the Zipping Classic.
Zipping Classic market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.80 Rising Romance, $3.70 Tall Ship, $3.80 Who Shot Thebarman, $7 Kirramosa, $15 Sertorius, $21 Don Doremo, $34 Do You Remember.
