Horse Racing: Zipping determined a legendary thoroughbred
Zipping, the thoroughbred racehorse confirmed himself as being one of the most talented colts that ever lived, after he won the weight-for-age Group II Patinack Farm Sandown Classic race that was run at Betfair Park in the Sandown Hillside track. The event
was run over a distance of 2400 metres and carried a purse of $ 351,000.
The event was previously known as the Sandown Cup, and before that it was known by the name of Williamstown Cup. Zipping now has the honour of becoming the first racehorse to have won the Sandown Classic three times in more than a century now (this record
was first achieved in 1988). This racing season, the nine year old colt proved his mettle as one of strongest geldings by winning four racing events in a row. Zipping is owned by Lloyd Williams and is honoured as the fourth racehorse in the history of Australian
horse racing industry to win the same group of races for four or more consecutive years.
Apart from Zipping, the other horses in history who have the same record include Lord (Group II Memsie Stakes 1958-61), Manikato (Group II William Reid Stakes 1979 to 1983) and Tie The Knot, who won the Group I Chipping Norton Stakes from the years 1999
to 2002.
Zipping has so far contended 46 races and has displayed his great potential and has given spectacular performances in significant horse racing meets in the country. He has thus earned a total of $ 4,531,195 in purse earnings. Out of these 46 stars, the strong
colt took over the field in 15 meets, while he finished second in 3 and third in 7 races. This year, apart from the Classic victory, Zipping won the Turnbull Stakes. On the other hand, he was the second place finisher in the Cox Plate and fourth place finisher
in the prestigious Melbourne Cup.
In the first Sandown Classic contended by Zipping, he managed to hold off the strong colts Jukebox Johnny and Baughurst, while he was still a six year old colt. He then went on take over the field in the next year’s edition of the Classic event and won the
race holding off Douro Valley and Red Ruler by 1/5 lengths. Then in 2009, Zipping clinched his third Classic victory, defeating the famous racehorses Purple (trained by Peter Snowden) and Master O’ Reilly (the 2007 Caulfield Cup winner). This year, the champion
gelding won the Classic race by a distance of 2 lengths. Zipping won this meet against Ginga Dude (winner of David Jones Handicap), Exceptionally and Manighar.
Racing manager for his father Lloyd, Nick Williams appreciated the racehorse and said, “He is a freak of nature he is just so tough. He will go for a break now and we will probably bring him back in the autumn and let him defend his Australian Cup. We are
not making any decision on his retirement. He has done that much for us he can choose whether he wants to race.”
The bay coloured gelding was foaled on the 24th of September 2001. Sired by Danehill out of Social Scene, Zipping was trained by Robert Hickmott. It is yet not revealed whether the colt will be running in the next year’s racing season or not,
but Zipping has undoubtedly determined himself as a legendary racehorse that will always be remembered in the history of Australian racing. Apart from So You Think, he was also considered for the world top thoroughbred rankings. Nonetheless, his name did not
appear in the list of the final top racehorses’ list and thus So You Think became the only Australian racehorse to make it to the top ten.
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