Leviathan owner Lloyd Williams says Mourayan is set to mount Macedon Lodge’s defence of the Zipping Classic against a trio of international raiders at Sandown after recovering from a foot injury which cost him a Melbourne Cup run.
Mourayan would give Williams a sentimental victory in Saturday’s weight-for-age feature, formerly known as the Sandown Classic, after the Group Two event was renamed in honour of the stable’s four-time winner of the race, Zipping.
Now retired as the stable pet, Zipping, who won the race from 2007 to 2010, will lead out just five runners in the 2400m Classic which features last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Americain who was a luckless fourth this year.
Also backing up from the Cup are English stayers Manighar (fifth) and Saptapadi (16th).
Mourayan will fly the Australian flag in the Classic along with last-start Flemington winner Lamasery.
Williams, who also won the Classic with Legible in 2003, was bitterly disappointed that Mourayan was unable to contest the Melbourne Cup as one of the favoured contenders.
He was scratched on race morning when he was sore after his toes were pinched when being shod.
“It certainly didn’t thrill us up here, but these things happen,” Williams told Radio Sport National.
“He ran well on Derby Day (when second to Glass Harmonium) in the Mackinnon and we thought he would run quite well in the Cup.”
Williams’ only Melbourne Cup runner, At First Sight, finished 10th.
Mourayan was to wear bar shoes to protect his feet in the Cup but Williams said the six-year-old would wear normal racing plates on Saturday.
On Wednesday, TAB Sportsbet opened Americain at $1.45 to win the Zipping Classic ahead of Mourayan ($3.80), Manighar ($7) and Lamasery ($9).
Saptapadi was the outsider at $81.
Williams said Mourayan had freshened up well in the last week but admitted beating Americain would be a big challenge.
“I’m moderately confident he (Mourayan) will run very well but Americain obviously is the one to beat,” Williams said.
“I think with average luck he (Americain) probably should have won the Melbourne Cup (this year).
“He’s the benchmark and at the weights he is very well weighted, but I couldn’t be happier with our horse.
“He (Mourayan) has had a week off and I think a little bit of a freshen up will probably suit him.”
The Zipping Classic will be Mourayan’s sixth run this campaign and Hugh Bowman has retained the mount after partnering him at his last four starts.
He was fourth on him in Rosehill’s Premier’s Cup (1800m), third to Lamasery in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill and won The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington leading up to the Mackinnon (2000m).
AAP TURF
