The Nick Olive trained Zaratone showed his liking for Rosehill by chalking up his fourth win at the track in the Group 3 $125,000 Sebring Stakes (1100m) today.

Zaratone

Zaratone won his fourth race at Rosehill Gardens, taking out the Sebring Stakes - photo (c) Steve Hart

Kathy O’Hara quickly got Zaratone into stride and took up his usual pace making spot and was never challenged to record an easy win.

Today’s win was the six year olds fifteenth overall win and fourth at Rosehill and O’Hara rode a perfectly rated race out in front.

“He’s a speed horse and he has to be ridden that way,” O’Hara said.

“He really likes railing up. When he gets a little break on them, he’s really tough and hard to run down. He showed them a clean pair of heels and kept going.”

O’Hara is having a good run over the Autumn Carnival and took out the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) on Ofcourseican at Rosehill on March 24.

Olive has no major goals for Zaratone over the Carnival but will be looking for another suitable short course race.

“He a fantastic horse. I’ve always said that he was capable of winning any race if he can get the right run,” Olive said.

“That worked out today and Kathy has a great affinity with him, she rode him perfect.”

Zaratone ($7) was able to lead all the way and score by two and a quarter lengths in the end over Winter King ($18) who went to the line well with favourite Master Design ($4.20) making a late run out wide on the track for third.

 

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.