After launching his stud career in New Zealand with a bang last season, Inglewood Stud’s young sire Zacinto (Dansili) is continuing to make waves across the ditch, leaving his first Australian winner today.
Zacinto’s striking son Odeon has always looked a talented horse, highlighted by his second placing in Saturday company at Flemington last month, but he announced himself as a potential Derby colt this season with a dominate five length win at Geelong today, relishing the extra distance of the 1700m trip.
The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra trained youngster worked hard after jumping from the outside barrier, being caught wide early before driving forward to sit off the leader. Coming into the straight, the $2.20 favourite quickened and left the others in his wake, crossing the line barely touched by jockey Chris Symonds, five lengths clear of his nearest rival.
“He’s a very, very promising horse, gee, I think we’ll run him in the Derby after that!” said Zahra after the race.
While Zahra said that Odeon has always been thought of as an autumn three-year-old, thought has to be given to carrying on with him this campaign to the VRC Derby.
“We might have re-evaluate after that, we’ll have to let the dust settle and see what happens,” said Zahra.
“We might have a nice horse on our hands, he’s definitely a really nice horse in the making.”
Odeon is just one of just three Australian runners for Zacinto, with Seento, who holds a nomination for the Caulfield Guineas and Caulfield Classic, coming from the rear of the field at Pakenham yesterday to run down all but the winner. Zacinto’s daughter Navagio, who was second in Saturday company at Caulfield back in June before being spelled, also holds an early nomination for the Caulfield Classic, as well as the Thousand Guineas.
Zacinto made headlines earlier this year when the then first-season-sire produced two stakes winners in a day, with Zigwig skipping away to a three length win in the Listed Champagne Stakes at Riccarton, while just 15 minutes later his highly touted son Ugo Foscolo collected the Listed Hamilton Vets Equine Stakes at Te Rapa.
“It’s incredibly exciting,” said Inglewood Stud’s Gus Wigley.
“It really says something that all three of his Australian runners to date have stakes targets in mind.
“He has a number of youngsters here in New Zealand that have the New Zealand 1000 or 2000 Guineas as their goal this spring and just yesterday he left a pretty sensational trial winner at Rangiora for owner/trainer Bevan Wilson – she looks to be top shelf.”
Zacinto has a full book of 125 mares for the 2016 season.