Trainer Nick Olive will consider a start in the Group One The Galaxy for flying grey Zaratone after he sped around Rosehill to win Saturday’s Sebring Stakes.
The frontrunner flew the gates for Kathy O’Hara and in a sustained display of speed, he kept going to to the line to post an emphatic 2-1/4-length win in the Group Three 1100-metres feature.
In doing so he took his record to 15 wins in 36 starts and gave Olive food for thought when it comes to The Galaxy (1100m) at Randwick in two weeks.
“I will have to think about that for sure,” Olive said.
“He’s a fantastic horse.
“I actually thought he would be very hard to beat today.
“We thought the fence would be okay so I told Kathy to stick to the fence.
“That’s probably what got him last time, you had to be in the middle of the track.”
Zaratone was a fighting third in the Maurice McCarten Stakes last start when he led on the rails with O’Hara in the saddle.
O’Hara also won the Listed Starlight Stakes aboard the gelding last campaign and has enjoyed a great affinity with the Olive stable, also claiming last year’s Wagga and Frank Underwood Cups aboard Zaratone’s stablemate Voice Commander.
“I won a stakes race on him last preparation and Nick did tell me the horse had improved from his last effort and his last effort was good so I thought he’d go okay today,” O’Hara said.
“Obviously he’s just a speed horse and he likes to be ridden that way.
“He got his own way in front and rolled along, gave a good kick and showed a clean pair of heels.
“It was a good win.”
Zaratone was specked from $8 to start $7 and maintained his advantage over Winter King ($18) who was second throughout.
The runner-up’s David Payne-trained stablemate Master Of Design ($4.20 fav) ran on for third, just ahead of Pinwheel.
