NEWS that Melbourne Cup winner Alamdin will miss the Zipping Classic on Saturday has seen Who Shot Thebarman surge to the top of the market at Sportsbet.com.au.
The Chris Waller trained eight-year-old is the narrow $3.60 favourite to win the Group 2 race at Sandown on Saturday ahead of So Si Bon ($3.80), Melbourne Cup disappointment Big Orange ($4.40) and Beautiful Romance ($5.50).
Who Shot Thebarman finished 11th in last year's Melbourne Cup and followed that run by winning this race a little over a week later.
The New Zealand-bred gelding has not won a single race since saluting at Sandown this time last year, but Waller believes the fifth place finish in the 2016 edition of the Cup is eerily similar to the 2015 preparation.
“Who Shot Thebarman won it last year after coming off a similar run in the Cup, so it all depends on the opposition,” Waller said.
“He has pulled up well since the Cup.”
“I think the tracks have been fantastic at Flemington during Cup Week and horses have been pulling up well.
“Earlier in the carnival they pulled up knowing they'd had a run, but this week they have been pretty good and seem to have come through it really well.”
Who Shot Thebarman may be at the top of the market, but Waller will be sweating on an entry from the fourth place getter in this year's Victoria Derby, So Si Bon.
The three-year-old colt's trainer Robbie Laing said the team is keeping their ‘options open' before making a decision midweek on whether or not the the second favourite for the Zipping will compete against Who Shot Thebarman or if he will run the Sandown Guineas.
“I just noticed Stevie Theodore's horse a few years ago Count Ricardo – ran third in the Derby, and won the Classic with the pull in the weights, won pretty easily. He beat the imported gallopers,” Laing said of his decision to put in dual nominations.
“That's the way I was thinking originally.
“Then, when there was only 12 [nominated] in the Guineas, I threw in an entry. It doesn't look like a great year.
“We're just keeping our options open for another 24 hours… (but) he's a very good racehorse, and whatever he runs in, he'll be hard to beat.”
Zipping Classic
Markets courtesy of sportsbet.com.au
$3.80 So Si Bon
$4.40 Big Orange
$5.50 Beautiful Romance
$6.00 Almoonqith
$11 Secret Number
$15 Gallante
$15 Charlevoix
$15 Nozomi
$51 Puccini
$101 Tristram's Sun
$101 Transfer Allowance