September 18, 2013Zac Spirit looks like another Singapore Star from Newhaven Park
Zac Spirit returns with a comfortable win
Craig Brennan
06/09/2013
Champion jockey Joao Moreira notched a winning hat-trick in the opening three races when Zac Spirit took out the $75,000 Class 3 Stakes over 1200m on Friday night.
Well supported to start the $8 favourite, Zac Spirit scored by five-and-three-quarter lengths from Raging Storm (Lisa Allpress) with Mulan (Koh Teck Huat) a neck away third.
Moreira had Zac Spirit following the second favourite Simple Pleasures (John Powell) on settling down and was content to sit there until the turn.
Joao Moreira hogs the limelight as he rides his third winner, Zac Spirit after only three races on Friday.
After balancing for the run to the line, Moreira released the brakes on the favourite and he quickly sprinted past Simple Pleasures and put the race beyond doubt.
Raging Storm and Mulan ran on from back of the six-horse field to fill the minor placings without ever looking likely to threaten the winner while Simple Pleasures dropped out to finish last after suffering a bleeding attack.
Zac Spirit ran
a quick 1 min 09.09 secs for the 1200m.
Trainer Cliff Brown, while naturally delighted to see the four-year-old come back to racing with a win, said the victory may have been a bit flattering with Simple Pleasures dropping out soon after straightening.
“He did it very well but it may have been a bit flattering with the second favourite bleeding,” said Brown.
“He did show a nice turn of foot when Joao asked him to go and he’s also run good time.
“Everything he’s done he’s done well and he’s probably deserved the chance at the bigger races next month, but we’ll see how he pulls-up and work it out from there.
“He’s still got to make some improvement to make it to the big league but he’s on the way up.”
Brown has Zac Spirit following in the footsteps of Clear For Action who was successful in Class 3 company over 1200m in September 2011 before making his way to Group 1 company, finishing second in the Panasonic Kranji Mile over 1600m and the Raffles Cup over 1800m behind Better Than Ever on each occasion.
The Kranji Mile on October 6 and the Raffles Cup on October 27 are two races that Brown has on the radar for Zac Spirit if he continues on an upward spiral.
Moreira was having his first ride aboard Zac Spirit and was quite surprised with the performance.
“It’s the first time I’ve ridden him and I was quite surprised just how good he is,” said Moreira.
“He jumped well, put himself in the race and when I wanted him to relax he came back underneath and settled really well.
“Going up in trip will not be any problem for him at all and I think 1600m will be good for him as he is so relaxed in his races.”
A four-year-old Australian-bred by Flying Spur from Kidman, Zac Spirit has won three of his six career starts to date and with a further two minor placings has accumulated around $175,000 in prizemoney for Zac Stable.
Following Zac Spirit’s success, Moreira returned to the winner’s enclosure for the fourth successive time in as many races when Mr Magnus came from last to take out the $55,000 Class 4 Stakes over 1600m.