Damien Oliver had one definite quote about Zonda after winning the $150,000 The Oaks Classic yesterday: "He really knows his stuff."
Oliver was impressed not by what Zonda did to win the race, but what the now-millionaire galloper would have done on a firmer surface.
He felt the public were denied an exibition of real dash by the dead nature of the footing.
"He couldn't get away from them," said Oliver.
"On the home bend he felt like he was going to win by a margin, but he struggled to get away in the footing."
Zonda will meet better weight-for-age competition when he gets to the $A1.25 million Australian Cup at Flemington on March 12, but firm footing and improvement in his fitness will see a better Zonda.
"He can improve a lot on that," said James. "He was not his usual relaxed self in the parade today and sweated up a bit."
Those observations were backed up by Oliver.
James will launch Zonda's Australian campaign with the $100,000 Whakanui Internatiomal Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 12.
It was in some ways a Roger James trifecta. Zonda's stablemate Cronus took third, the pair being split by Giovana, who James trained to win the Queensland Oaks and who he will take to Australia again for owner Carol Marshall if a trip evetuates.
"Cronus running third did not surprise me," said James. "It was a cheeky effort of his when sixth in the Kings Plate behind Zonda on Boxing Day and his best form is when he's second up and there is cut in the ground."
There were simply no excuses for the beaten lot, Zonda was a weight-for-age horse racing against handicappers and it showed.
Racing: Plenty more dash in Zonda's tank
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