The decision to put blinkers on Zero To Hundred for her debut at Warwick Farm has got the desired result with the two-year-old making a winning start to her career on heavy ground.
Trained by Gerald Ryan, Zero To Hundred handled the testing conditions in Wednesday’s Casino Prince @ Vinery Plate (1100m) to come from the tail of the seven-horse field under Kerrin McEvoy to score by a length over fellow debutante Escape Artist.
“She had pleased me at the trials doing a little bit wrong still and Gerald decided to put the blinkers on her which has been a nice move because she picked up when I asked her, straight away,” McEvoy told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“She enjoyed the ground and did it quite cosily. Once we hit the front she pricked her ears and had a look around so it was not a bad style of a win.”
Ryan said he did not really like putting blinkers on two-year-olds in their first start but said McEvoy suggested them after the recent barrier trial.
Then the filly worked strongly in the headgear in a gallop last week which prompted the decision.
Ryan said Zero To Hundred was a nice, strong filly who he believes will get out to 1600m.
The Greg Hickman-trained three-year-old gelding Travest made it two wins from as many starts when he resumed from a spell with a visually impressive performance to win the Ranvet Handicap (1300m).
Travest ($8.50) had won a maiden at Warwick Farm in January on debut and finished strongly under Tommy Berry in Wednesday’s benchmark-66 race out wide on the track to score by two lengths.
Both Berry and Hickman believe Travest is still a preparation away from fulfilling his potential.
“I thought he’s been a bit easy in some of his barrier trials but I think that was a really good win,” Hickman said.
“He’s a nice horse and he keeps on improving. He’s probably six months away and I hope he keeps on improving.”
Trainer David Payne brought up a race-to-race double at the meeting with two-year-old gelding Pyrmont breaking through for his first win at his seventh start in the Yulong Stallions Plate (1100m) before stablemate Crown Affair took out the TAB Handicap (2140m).