Saturday Double - Zantabulous Zuperb

Handling winter-like conditions like a toff, Zantabulous (6 m Almanzor – Zantelagh, by Zabeel) won the $25,000 Lockwood Thames-Coromandel East Waikato Gold Cup (Rating 75 1600m) on Saturday at Te Aroha.

After running the fastest last 600m (35.3) on the day when getting home for third in the Rating 75 1600 metres on 19 December at Matamata, won by stable-mate and subsequent winner El Viento, Zantabulous had recorded three wins on soft and heavy ground, and had the benefit of weight relief to 52kg with the apprentice claim.

Faced with unseasonal Heavy10 track conditions, Zantabulous presented in peak order, was able to dictate terms in front for Te Akau apprentice Hayley Hassman (a3) and had her three rivals covered in the straight to score easily by four and a quarter-lengths.

“It was great to see her return to winning form in a Cup race, and a nice ride by Hayley,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson. 

“In atrocious conditions, she kept her nicely balanced and the mare was able to get through the ground pretty well.

“I’d like to thank the owners, she’s been very frustrating, but always had ability and had things go wrong with her.  She seems in really good order through this campaign and hopefully the win will give her the confidence to go racing competitively for a while yet.”

A dominant favourite, Zantabulous paid $1.60 in a race with a win dividend only, after clocking 1:49.4 for 1600 metres on testing ground. 

On course, assistant trainer Reece Trumper said: “She’s been a filly that we’ve thought a lot of for a long time, but she’s had a few immaturity problems along the way.

“The owners have been super patient, so thanks to them and they deserve the result.

“The (three-kilo) weight relief certainly helped today, it was key, and she took all the bad luck out of it. It was a good ride.”

Owned by the Te Akau Zantabulous Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), she was bought by David Ellis CNZM for $220,000 at the 2021 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Cambridge Stud, who stand highly credentialed stallion Almanzor (Wootton Bassett).

By one of the best credentialed stallions to shuttle to New Zealand in the last decade, and one whose progeny are racing very well of late including siring the winner of Saturday's Group 1 Telegraph at Trentham, Almanzor (Wotton Bassett) was European Champion Three-Year-Old and claimed the same titles in Ireland and France.

Her dam Zantelagh, a three-time winner to 1800 metres in Australia, is by Champion Sire and Champion Broodmare Sire Zabeel (Sir Tristram), a quality influence in pedigrees that cannot be underestimated – and in many instances cannot be beaten.

Zantabulous' grand-dam Dantelah, by Champion Sire Volksraad (Green Desert), was a Group One winning sprinter in Australia, multiple placed at Group One and Two levels - a grand sprinting mare that won eight races competing against the best. 

Zantabulous carries a cross of brilliant sire Nureyev (Northern Dancer), a stallion renowned for injecting quality into any breed, the ability to accelerate, and some beautiful movers. 

Zantabulous was strapped by Rasheed Alam.

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz