Zimbali to step up in distance after surprise Sandown win

Premiership winning trainer Peter Moody will step Zimbali up in distance after the French import scored a surprise win at Sandown on Wednesday.

Trainer Peter Moody, above, was surprised with the win of French import Zimbali at Sandown. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Trainer Peter Moody, above, was surprised with the win of French import Zimbali at Sandown. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Moody had Zimbali destined for a career over the hurdles before he snuck up along the rails to score a half length win in the $35,000 The Grand Hotel Frankston BenchMark 78 Handicap over 1600m at his first run for the stable.

Zimbali was sent out a $10 chance in the seven horse field and was always travelling kindly for Luke Nolen who saved ground in the straight before he pushed out the five year old over the concluding stages.

Moody said that Zimbali had not shown a lot in his lead up trackwork and was expecting him to be back at the tail of the field instead of travelling on the bit midfield.

“I said to Luke give him a squeeze or he will be twenty lengths behind them in the run,” Moody told TVN.

“There is good improvement and he’ll be much better suited over 2000 metres and 2400 metres. Everything about him indicates the further the better.

“I was thinking hurdles before today, but we might have to put that on hold.”

Part owner Darren Wilson purchased the lowly performed stallion who only had one win on the board in France and offered him to Moody to train.

“He was bought by a client in Queensland, Darren Wilson, as a little spec horse. He didn’t cost much money,” Moody said.

“Darren rang up one day and said I’ve got this horse from France. Do you want him or should I send him to a trainer up here in the bush?”

“I said ‘I’ll have a look at him and if he’s no good we can send him to someone in the bush, and a couple of times I thought we might have to.”

Yesterday’s win took Moody to thirty-two wins for the season, keeping him in third spot in the Melbourne trainer’s premiership table behind the partnership of David Hayes and Tom Dabernig on forty-six and last season’s leading trainer Darren Weir on forty-five wins.

Hayes and Dabernig were able to take a one win lead over Weir after Eye The World took out the $35,000 Heading Out Hair & Beauty BenchMark 64 Handicap (1400m) at Sandown yesterday.

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.