Racing: Australian Cup next for Zarita after strong Sunline Stakes win

MELBOURNE - Classy mare Zarita has earned another crack at the Australian Cup after an explosive win at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

The 5-year-old mare, who started $1.95 favourite, put a scare into punters when she looked in trouble trying to get a run at the top of the straight in the group two Sunline Stakes (1600m) but came through to the roar of the crowd to win by nearly a length.

Princess Marizza, who took off mid-race in a slowly run race to take the lead down the side of the track, hung on to finish second for jockey Michelle Payne. Silvercitymiss was third.

Zarita's last win was the Stocks Stakes (1600m) at the Valley in September and trainer Pat Hyland said the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 6 was too tempting to pass up.

Last year, she was beaten 1 lengths when fourth to Niconero in the cup and Hyland said it appeared the race would be no harder this year.

"You start wondering what is around. She got within 1 lengths of them last year and I think she is going the best she's gone since her 3-year-old days," he said.

Zarita won the Group One Australasian Oaks and the SA Derby in 2008 and Hyland said she was thriving on a new training regime at the beach.

"We have been beaching her every day since January 1 and I think it has probably taken a bit of pain out of the old legs."

Jockey Steven Arnold said he was sweating on a run as he tried to keep his position on Zarita approaching the home turn.

"We were quite tight in among them and when the sprint came on I was marking time to try and hold my ground. She probably prefers being outside horses and it took a while to get her out there but when she did, she finished off great."

Hyland said when Zarita drew barrier one it was a concern but he never lost faith in the mare in the run.

"She is a very good mare and I was still confident coming to the corner."

Zarita has won nine of 31 starts and A$1.65 million in stakes.

Owner Bill Frost is already looking around for potential sires to cover her this spring but admitted that her retirement to the broodmare barn could be delayed should she win the Australian Cup.

The Anthony Cummings-trained Turffontein pulled off an upset to land his second group one victory in the preceding race, the William Reid Stakes.

The 5-year-old entire won the Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last spring when ridden by big-race specialist Glen Boss, who was aboard again on Saturday.

Cummings watched the race from Randwick but his Melbourne stable foreman Graham Woolston was full of admiration for Turffontein, who is at his best on soft ground.

"He's a terrific horse.

"When he's got the right conditions he's up with the best of them," Woolston said.

"That's all he really needs, a dead track or worse."

"I thought he was a good chance before Black Caviar came out," Cummings said from Randwick.

"Sure, she would have been hard to beat but on what he's shown us he has come back better than ever. He is an absolute group one horse.

"We looked at what was here for him in Sydney and there are some nice races but they're not A$500,000 sprint races and there are two of those in Melbourne.

"There was the one today and the Newmarket and that's where he will go next."

The Newmarket Handicap (1200m) is at Flemington on March 6.

- AAP