Chris Waller’s in-form filly Zumbelina posted her fourth consecutive metropolitan win at Rosehill on Saturday.
Zumbelina was slapped with a benchmark score of 67 after breaking her maiden at Canterbury in October but since then she has continued to improve, her latest win coming in a set weights and penalties contest as the 58kg topweight.
Zumbelina ($2.40 fav) defeated Godolphin’s Achi Baba ($3.50) by a neck while the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Arbeitsam ($4) was another two lengths off in third.
Very few gallopers make the same rapid progression as Zumbelina has, such is the rigidity of the benchmark system which rated the filly on 78 before Saturday’s victory.
Waller admitted to being slightly concerned when the weights were released for the #theraces Plate (1400m).
“It scared me a little bit when I saw her weight but she did enough,” Waller said.
“If there’s not a race for her in two weeks’ time we’ll give her a short break and bring her back for races like the James Carr and PJ Bell – that’s been the plan and it hasn’t changed.
“Those races are not until the back-end of the carnival so there’s still a bit of time to keep her going and she’s in great condition.”
Rider Brenton Avdulla said he was a merely a passenger as the daughter of Stratum took her career earnings past $260,000.
“Lovely. I can’t take much credit, I literally put my dollar into the coin slot and just enjoyed the ride,” he said.
“Everything panned out perfectly – the speed was good and I just travelled.” – Racenet.com.au
