Zugulu set to cash in
THE Cash Pot ‘Only One For Me’ highlights a trophy-laden day at Caymanas Park today.
In the feature event a compact field of 11, highly thought of native-bred two-year-olds, who have either won a race or earned from their starts, will contest the event, going 1,200 metres for a purse of $2,950,000. Post time is set at approximately 4:30 pm with the first post at 12:05 pm.
Seven of the runners in the party are winners with the Wayne DaCosta-trained colts Vision and Dreamliner and the filly Fedora from the stables of Richard Azan being the most experienced. These promising juveniles have all faced the starter on three occasions with Dreamliner winning twice with a second-place finish in the other, while Vision and Fedora have posted a win each.
Future King, the highly thought of colt also from the stables of champion trainer DaCosta is the second most successful runner in the field with one win and a second place finish from two career starts. A dark bay colt by Natural Selection out of Millenium Princess, Future King opened his winning account on his second attempt while running on over 1,100 metres to get the better of twice second place finisher Sorrentino’s Star.
Among the one-race winners are some useful sorts but none more precocious than Zugulu. Hailing from the Azan stables and imported in utero, Zugulu is about the finest bred juvenile in the line-up with the colt being sired by the outstanding young stallion Hold Me Back. Hold Me Back is by two-time US champion sire Giant’s Causeway, and out of a daughter of two-time champion Avowal.
Hall Of Fame horseman Bill Mott is reported to have said admiringly of Hold Me Back, “Standing every bit of his 16.3 hands, he is a very fluid mover and an imposing individual. He is versatile and ran in all of the big races, including a great Travers run.”
With this type of commendation, Zugulu by the El Prado mare Candy Girl, could prove to be something very special based on his debut showing on October 3. After giving his handlers an anxious moment at the gates, Zugulu promptly staggered out to be left behind the field by some distance.
However, with Shane Ellis up, Zugulu, after turning for home laid out well to catch and beat his rivals by four widening lengths, going 1,100 metres.
The time (1:07.3 minutes) was nothing special although quite good for an opening run by a juvenile. He will now run over 1,200 metres in this tougher spot with a trophy at stake and facing a group of better quality talent than on last cannot afford the luxury of dawdling at the off.
But with the first race jitters out of the way this talented progeny of Hold Me Back, with Ellis remaining in the tack, should be better oriented for the matchup against rivals in Future King with Robert Halledeen astride, Dreamliner with Richard Mitchell up, claiming apprentice Linton Steadman aboard Vision and Percy Williams piloting the Philip Feanny-prepared Sorrentino’s Star.