It's Sandown, the end of the carnival. It's a group 2 race over a staying trip. There's only one outfit to look for – Team Williams.
There is no stable in Australia more committed to running distance horses than the Macedon-based Lloyd Williams operation, as its record in Melbourne Cups shows.
But impressive though that tally is – with three Cups in the past eight years – their record in the Zipping Classic, formerly known as the Sandown Classic, is even more impressive.
Jockey Ben Melham rode The Taj Mahal to victory.Credit:AAP
Former Coolmore inmate The Taj Mahal, under Ben Melham, waged a two horse war throughout with the Ciaron Maher-trained English import Dal Harraild over the 2400 metre trip to win the race for the second year in a row on Saturday: his victory meant the famous navy blue and white silks had been first past the post in this contest for an astonishing eighth time in the past 16 years.
The five year old son of Galileo is a tough, resolute on pacer who never gives up, and he needed all those reserves of courage and determination to see off the Kerrin McEvoy ridden Dal Harraild, who, just two strides from the post, looked as though he had got his head back in front.
But the photo showed that Melham's mount had just got there – much to Nick Williams satisfaction.
"Ciaron's horse went particularly well, it's obviously a tough horse. When Benny got beside him I thought he would keep going (but) it's the bob of a head, it could have gone either way and it's just fortunate it went our way."
Williams run began in 2003 with Legible. That grand stayer Zipping, after whom the race is now named, won it four years in a row, while Tanby succeeded in 2012 prior to The Taj Mahal's dual successes.
''It just seems to have been a race that has fitted into our programmes with our horses and it seems to have been lucky for us. We are very fortunate,'' said Williams.
''I love this track myself … I think its the best racetrack in Victoria given the geography of it, and it gives every horse its chance.''
Maher and McEvoy believed their horse might have got his head back in front until the camera proved otherwise, but the trainer is now looking forward to setting Dal Harraild on a Melbourne Cup campaign next year.
- Trainer Darren Weir and his namesake, bloodstock syndicator Darren Dance, could only look on and wonder what might have been had their stayer Yogi somehow sneaked into the field for this year's rain sodden Melbourne Cup.
The six year old showed that the 3200 metre trip held no problems when he won the Sandown Cup over the same distance, and the ground would have been ideal.
''We were hoping for Flemington, but things didn't go quite right Derby day for us,'' (when Yogi finished unplaced in the Lexus and failed to win his way into the big race)," said Weir.
''We were holding off with the blinkers hoping that we might have been able to get into the big one and put them on then because it's been what he needed.
''It worked today (but) I was hoping he would get in the Melbourne Cup because he loves wet ground.
''I am not saying he would have won it but you saw how strong he was there. With 50 kilos on his back, with the blinkers on and the wet ground. I am tipping he would have beaten a few home.''
Yogi is definitely one of racing's oddballs. He is stamina laden and always arrives late in his races, but has developed a alarming habit of missing the start. Over extreme distances it shouldn't matter, but it often does.
''He makes it hard on himself (missing the start). I am not sure why. Early in the prep he was racing more tractably. He wasn't up on the speed, but he had a few behind him. Three quarters of the way through the prep he had this habit again of just popping out of the barriers and giving them all too much of a start.
''Obviously the two miles today helped. I think the blinkers at the right time was a good addition of gear as well.
Yogi was the first leg of an early afternoon double for champion jockey Craig Williams, who also scored on Tally for Godolphin.
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