Elzamee returns to form at Caulfield

Elzamee has relished the drop back from ‘black type’ company to record an impressive win at Caulfield.

Victory came in the Magic Millions National Sale (2000m) on Saturday after the three-year-old had competed at stakes level in his three previous outings.

Providing both Jye Mcneil and the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable a winning treble for the afternoon, Elzamee ($7) scored by a length from The Amazonian ($31) with Emperor Of France ($7.50) a long neck away third.

Elzamee had finished fourth in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at The Valley in March before a last start 16th in the Group 1 ATC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick last month on heavy ground.

“He really deserved that,” Eustace said.

“He’s been racing in some really good races throughout the thick of the autumn and he didn’t handle the ground in the Derby.

“It’s a really good effort from the team just to get him back and winning in a pretty short turnaround.

“He only had an easy few days after the Derby, came back here and went to the beach, and then a couple of nice gallops at Cranbourne.”

McNeil, who scored earlier wins on Lincoln Square and Blaze A Trail, said he had noticed improvement from Elzamee since riding him in the Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield in February.

“He’s definitely improved, and his temperament has as well,” McNeil said.

“He’s relaxed and developed and matured into a nice horse since I was last on him and the key to that was stepping to 2000 metres, and we saw the best of him today.

“Initially he gave me the feel he wanted to duck in, so I swapped the whip into the left hand but when he felt that he wanted to go right so he was a bit green, but he’ll learn from that experience.”