Queen Of The Turf For Zanbagh After Emancipation Stakes Win

Zanbagh will run in the 2017 Queen Of The Turf Stakes in a fortnight after she returned to winning form in the Emancipation Stakes this afternoon.

Zanbagh claimed back-to-back Emancipation Stakes wins. Photo by: Steve Hart

Zanbagh claimed back-to-back Emancipation Stakes wins. Photo by: Steve Hart

Zanbagh had not won a race since she triumphed in the Emancipation Stakes last year and she was able to end her drought in impressive fashion when she finished over the top of a gallant Daysee Doom late.

John Thompson paid tribute to the ride of Hugh Bowman in the Emancipation Stakes and he confirmed that the Bernardini mare will run in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick in a fortnight.

“It was a great ride,” Thompson said.

“It is great to win this race with Guy Walter’s horse.

“She has been getting back in her races and running on strongly and I said to Hugh if we could be closer that would be nice.

“She gets through the wet well, but the key was being within striking distance and you knew that she was going to be the strongest late.

“She will back-up.”

Zanbagh joins Skyerush (2012 & 2013) and Catkins (2014 & 2015) as the only horses to have won the Emancipation Stakes in back-to-back years.

No winner of the Emancipation Stakes haws won the Queen Of The Turf Stakes in the past 30 years, but Diamond Drille (2014) and Amanpour (2015) both came out of the race.

Silent Sedition is currently available at 2017 Queen Of The Turf Stakes odds of $6 with Ladbrokes and is a narrow favourite from Dixie Blossoms ($8), Foxplay ($8), Heavens Above ($9), I Am A Star ($11) and Zanbagh ($11).

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.