No Almandin in Zipping Classic causes market reshuffle

Three year old So Si Bon and eight year old stayer Hot Shot Thebarman are the new joint favourites for the Group 2 $300,000 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown on Saturday following the announcement that the Melbourne Cup winner Almandin won’t be there.

Who Shot Thebarman, above, is the joint favourite with So Si Bon for the Zipping Classic at Sandown. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Who Shot Thebarman, above, is the joint favourite with So Si Bon for the Zipping Classic at Sandown. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

As well as Almandin, owner Lloyd Williams had nominated his other three Melbourne Cup runners in the Zipping Classic but looks likely to have one runner in Gallante, who finished twentieth, with Assign (nineteenth) and Bondi Beach (thirteenth) to stay home at Macedon Lodge with Almanadin.

“They all seem to have come through the race fine, but I haven’t done anything with them except walking them since the Melbourne Cup,” Williams said earlier in the week.

Almandin was installed the early favourite at $3 for the Zipping Classic with Ladbrokes.com.au when his name was at the top of the original nominations but now the Chris Waller trained Who Shot Thebarman and Robbie Laing’s So Si Bon share the top spot in the market order at $4.

Who Shot Thebarman is also coming off a last start fifth in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington last Tuesday while So Si Bon will be stepping up to weight for age company after running fourth to Prized Icon in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 29.

Melbourne Cup sixth placegetter Almoonqith and tenth placed Big Orange are on the next line of betting at $5 just ahead of Beautiful Romance at $7.

Who Shot Thebarman is searching for back to back wins in the Zipping Classic after beating Tall Ship and Do You Remember last year but the eight year old hasn’t visited the winner’s stall since although he has run a second and a fourth in Group 1 company during the 2016 Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Stablemate Preferment beat him narrowly in the Group 1 $1.5m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on March 26 before he finished fourth to Gallanate in the Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 9, day two of ‘The Championships’.

Early market order for Zipping Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 So Si Bon, Who Shot Thebarman,$5 Almoonqith, Big Orange, $7 Beautiful Romance, $13 Secret Number, $17 Nozomi, $21 Gallante, Charlevoix, $51 Puccini, Transfer Allowance, Tristram’s Sun.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.