Racing: Nail-biter gives Cup to Zipping

Eight-year-old Zipping finally broke through for a Group One victory with a nail-biting win over the Bart Cummings-trained Sirmione in the Australian Cup at Flemington.

The Danehill gelding had won three successive Group Two Sandown Classics and been placed in two Cox Plates and yesterday prevailed in a deceptive finish to just stave off Sirmione with Cummings' other representative Moatize third.

The win was the 14th of Zipping's 41-start career which has also yielded nine placings for prizemoney of more than $3.3 million.

Jockey Nick Hall settled Zipping worse than midfield early but moved him to the centre of the track in the straight where he and Sirmione made their runs together.

Sirmione looked to have headed Zipping halfway down the running but the Lloyd Williams-owned gelding fought back strongly.

But Cummings racked up Group One number 258 when Rock Classic lowered the boom on Sydney colt Denman in the Australian Guineas.

Perfectly ridden by Michael Rodd, Rock Classic settled fifth in the run and hit the lead halfway down the straight to comfortably account for Set For Fame and Linton.

Queenslander Shoot Out came with a barnstorming finish to take out the Group One Randwick Guineas.

He overhauled Gai Waterhouse's Viking Legend. Another Queenslander, Captain Sonador, was third in the 1600m feature.

- AAP