A return to racing at Sandown is expected to prove beneficial for Zipping Boy in his second run back with original trainer Jerome Hunter.
Zipping Boy runs in the Ladbrokes Live Betting Handicap (1000m) on Wednesday looking to maintain his unbeaten record at the track, and trip.
As a three-year-old, Zipping Boy won consecutive races over the 1000m journey at Sandown, once on good ground and then again on a heavy surface.
“He handles all types of ground which is fantastic as it makes my job a whole lot easier,” Hunter said.
“And he loves Sandown. He tends to roll down that hill really easy.”
After registering six wins from his first 12 starts, Zipping Boy was sent north to the Ballina stable of Stephen Lee earlier in the year.
Hunter said the idea was to get Zipping Boy away from the hard summer Melbourne tracks and race on the rain-affected ground in Brisbane.
After three Brisbane runs, where Zipping Boy failed to place, he was sent back to Hunter at Mornington.
Zipping Boy resumed for Hunter at Caulfield on July 9, going down narrowly over 1100m.
“Since we brought him back, he’s been going great guns,” Hunter said.
“He’s taken improvement from Caulfield, but he was ready to go there. He’d had a few trials leading into it and back the 1000 metres, there’s not much he’s had to do.
“We’ll see how goes on Wednesday whether we can get him back up to harder grades.
“At the moment we’ll keep him at the Benchmark 78’s, but there is a Benchmark 84 in a couple of weeks on a Saturday that might be suitable for him.
“We were unlucky not to pinch that race at Caulfield and this looks ideal for him on Wednesday.”
Apprentice Celine Gaudray will again ride Zipping Boy on Wednesday with her 3kg claim bringing the sprinter in with 58.5kg.
