Who Shot Thebarman has been freshened up since being unplaced in last week’s Melbourne Cup and will go around in the Group 2 $300,000 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown on Saturday.
Who Shot Thebarman has been freshened up to run in the Zipping Classic at Sandown. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Trainer Chris Waller’s Melbourne foreperson Justine Hales said that Who Shot Thebarman and been to the beach and has freshened up nicely since running eleventh to Prince Of Penzance in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington last Tuesday.
Hales said that the way the Melbourne Cup panned out, Who Shot Thebarman never really got into the hunt after striking trouble in the straight and is ready for the weight for age Zipping Classic.
“He didn’t really have a hard run, he was knocked over in the straight and didn’t really exert himself and it certainly wasn’t a testing staying race,” Hales told racing.com.
“He worked very well on Tuesday morning and I’m looking forward to seeing him step out again on Saturday.
“He’s been to the beach and had a few quiet days but he seems fresh and he’s eating very well.”
Who Shot Thebarman put in a super Melbourne Cup trial when he ran home strongly at Caulfield to run seventh to Mongolian Khan in the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17 before he headed to Flemington.
At this time last year Who Shot Thebarman was also in contention for the Melbourne Cup after winning the Group 3 $150,000 The Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington and he carried that form in the Melbourne Cup to finish third to Protectionist.
Waller’s other Melbourne Cup runner Grand Marshall has also pulled up well and will be going around at Sandown on Saturday in the Listed $150,000 Sandown Cup (3200m).
Grand Marshall was also caught up in the bad interference in the straight with jockey Jimmy Cassidy almost becoming unseated at the 300m before the gelding ended up in twenty-first spot.
“He’s also come through the Melbourne Cup fine where he also got knocked over in the straight,” Hales said.
“He needs the distance of the Sandown Cup but he should be right in it this weekend.
“He’s a big horse that has a bit of size about him so he shouldn’t have too much of a problem with the weight.”
Grand Marshal is a proven two miler after defeating his stablemate Who Shot Thebarman in the Group 1 $1.6m Schweppes 150th Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Carnival this year.
