Trainer David “Butch” Bourne is relying on Zamorar’s class to prevail after a freshen up ahead of Saturday’s assignment at Caulfield.
The son of Scandal Keeper hasn’t raced for six weeks going into the TROA Supports National Jockeys Trust Hcp (1000m).
Last start he had his first trip interstate when he had a tough run from the outside barrier in the Group Two Euclase Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on March 12.
Sent out favourite in Adelaide, Zamorar was beaten 1-3/4 lengths when fourth to Go The Knuckle.
A post-race veterinary inspection revealed that the three-year-old suffered mild heat stress.
“We haven’t wound him up for this race, but he’s certainly ready to go,” Seymour-based Bourne said.
“We want him to race pretty much through the rest of the season.”
Bourne said he had fielded some big offers to sell Zamorar but he and the owners decided they wanted to race him themselves.
“He’s only a young horse and hopefully he’s around for a while,” he said.
Bourne paid $18,000 for Zamorar as a weanling at the 2009 Inglis Weanling and Bloodstock Sale in Sydney.
“He was just one of those nicer types and I think the reflection of the price is only because of his unfashionable breeding,” he said.
“Had he been by a commercial sire he would have made a lot more money I’m sure.”
Zamorar has won three of his six starts and is unbeaten in two starts at 1000m.
Last spring he was beaten 1-3/4 lengths when fourth to Sepoy in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Bourne said that run alone rated him as the most promising horse he has prepared.
“I’d loved to have attacked a nice Group Two or Three race during Melbourne Cup week but the Coolmore was the only suitable three-year-old race on offer,” Bourne said.
“He was going really well, he was cherry ripe we thought, so we decided to have a go at it.”
Bourne opted for three-kilogram claiming apprentice Jake Duffy to offset the 60kg he was weighted to carry on Saturday.
He chose the three-year-old race ahead of the open class Dr. Michael Irlicht Hcp (1000m) in which Zamorar was weighted on the minimum of 54kg.
“It looks a relatively easy task for an apprentice to ride him on Saturday,” the trainer, referring to Zamorar drawing barrier one in the 10-horse field, said.
“We can keep on finding out a bit about him with track surfaces and distances this preparation so we can play around with that and when he turns four we have an idea of which races we should be targeting.”
The Listed AR Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on June 9 is a race Bourne has earmarked for the sprinter.
The Caulfield track was on Thursday rated a heavy (8).
