KEY POINTS:
Zipping backed up from his Melbourne Cup fourth to stablemate Efficient with a tough win in the Group Two Sandown Classic at Sandown on Saturday, giving new trainer John Sadler his first winner for Melbourne businessman Lloyd Williams.
Sadler was assistant to Williams' trainer Graeme Rogerson until the latter resigned last week.
"I'm very happy," Sadler said.
"It's Team Williams, the trainer is in my name but it really is a team effort."
Zipping became the sixth horse since 1989 to back up after running in the Melbourne Cup and win the Sandown Classic.
"Lloyd didn't want to run the horse unless he was 100 per cent going into the race," Sadler said on Saturday.
"Eddie Cassar rode him this morning and said he was 100 per cent and that was good enough to run him."
Ridden by Steven Arnold, who had to endure the anguish of getting off Efficient to ride Gallic, who was subsequently scratched from the Melbourne Cup on race morning, Zipping (A$2.35 fav) looked to be under pressure to make ground from midfield on the home turn.
However he flattened out nicely in the straight to score by 1 3/4 lengths from Jukebox Johnny with Baughurst the same margin away third.
"We had a nice run, but coming around the corner he hit a bit of a flat spot," Arnold said. "But he was very strong for the last furlong (200m). He was the best horse in the race, but we had to make sure we would be able to back up after the Melbourne Cup."
"He was a bit flat-footed, he had a bit of lead in the feet after his Melbourne Cup run," said Sadler, who won the 1990 Sandown Cup - now the weight-for-age Classic (2400m) - with Pressman's Choice.
For Williams, it was his second Classic success having won the race with Legible, trained by Brad Marzato, in 2003.
Zipping will go out for a well-earned spell now and Sadler confirmed that the Danehill six-year-old could have a crack at the Singapore International (2000m) in May, a race won by the Lee Freedman-trained Mummify in 2005. Mick Price and Damien Oliver completed unfinished business with the Sandown Guineas when Schilling avenged a defeat eight years ago for the trainer and jockey combination.
Price said it was payback time for when Chattanooga, ridden by Oliver, was beaten in photo-finish by Over in the group two 1600m feature in 1999.
Price feared history was going to repeat itself when Schilling was under pressure to get past Masked Assassin in the last 100 metres, but in a punishing finish Oliver got the best out of the Bianconi colt who won by a half-neck.
"I was just saying [to myself] don't do this to me again," Price said.
"Don't run second and be beaten in a photo again."
Wind Shear ran the best race of his career and finished a short neck away third while the Lee Freedman-trained Electromotive was fourth.
The disappointment of the race was the Freedman-trained Belcentra, the favourite and the only filly in the field, who finished sixth.
Price paid A$42,000 ($49,845) at the Melbourne Premier Sale for Schilling and retained 10 per cent after syndicating the colt, who has a stakeswinning American pedigree.
The Guineas was only his sixth race start and his third win after victories at Ballarat in April and Cranbourne last month.
Last start he rose sharply in class and, ridden by Oliver for the first time, finished second to Zacroona in the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 3.
Oliver, whose other winners on the day were Escadaire and Star Rose, said Schilling had the potential to make an impact in autumn in races like the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington in March.
He said Schilling accelerated quickly off a slack pace midrace and was strong at the finish.
"He's got a good future.
- AAP
