Impressive Win By Vesper
- Saturday, 12 June 2010 06:06
Nick and Lloyd Williams Zabeel gelding Vesper proved a class horse in the making when he made a last to first run in the Rod Johnson Handicap at Flemington this afternoon.
Under 3kg claiming apprentice Jack Hill, Vesper was back last until the 800m mark in the 2000m race.
At that point Hill clicked up the long striding Zabeel gelding and he started to move right round the outside of the field.
Taking the home turn very wide Vesper wobbled a bit but Hill obeyed instructions and gave him plenty of time to get balanced before asking for a finishing effort.
After covering many more lengths than the rest of the field, Vesper ($2.50-$3.50F) got up in the last stride to beat Far To Go ($14-$18-$17) by a short half head, while Pennon ($13-$14) was a half length away in third place.
"He was a little bit slow last start and we wanted him to switch off today and just relax out the back and not over race which he did quite well", Hill explained.
"He's a big striding Zabeel horse and the plan was to give him plenty of room in the straight and bring him out as wide as I needed to."
"He wanted to get in a bit, so I gave him one with the left hand and he straightened up."
"I didn't want to overdo it with the whip because he's a baby and a bit raw still."
"I'd have to say in my short career he's one of the nicest horses I've ridden."
By Zabeel, Vesper is out of the top class race mare Sylvaner, winner of 6 stakes races in a career which yielded $606,790 in prizemoney. Perhaps her best win was the Group 2 Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley, but Sylvaner also won two other Group 2 races and three times at Listed level.
Vesper was sold for $300,000 to the bid of Nick Williams at the 2008 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Photos: Fiona Tomlin, Quentin Lang
