News

Zabeelionaire victorious in South Australian Derby

5th May 2012

Leon Corstens trained Zabeelionaire showed his huge staying potential at Morphettville on Saturday, taking out the $500,000 Group 1 SAJC South Australian Derby (2500m).

Jockey Damien Oliver had the son of Zabeel travelling well mid-field on the fence throughout the Derby and although faced with a wall of tiring horses in front of him coming into the straight Zabeelionaire was strong enough to dash up along the inside when the run presented itself and hold off the challenges of Sabrage, Westsouthwest and Strike The Stars.

ZABEELIONAIRE ($250,000 2010 Easter, 3c Zabeel-Kisumu) had half a length to spare on the line over fellow Easter graduate Sabrage, with Westsouthwest a further length away at the end of the 2500m Group 1 event for three-year-olds in Adelaide.

Purchased by Spicer Thoroughbreds for $250,000 from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Zabeelionaire races for a large group of owners that includes Brad Spicer, R Alvaro, JH Donegan, FD Magnabosco, Mrs C Elberg, Realize The Dream Synd, Coopers Inn No 2 Synd & Seljaci Synd.

The Corstens trained galloper has now won three of his eleven career starts and accumulated over $465,000 in prizemoney, with Australia’s leading staying races in the coming spring on the agenda for the improving colt.

From Group 2 placed Carnegie mare Kisumu today’s Group 1 winner is the second Derby winner in as many months bred by Wyadup Valley Farm’s Trevor Delroy, following on from victory of Delroy’s bred and owned Ethiopia in April’s Group 1 ATC Australian Derby at Randwick.

Zabeelionaire also became the 42nd Group 1 winner for his champion sire Zabeel, joining victors at the highest level such as WS Cox Plates winners Might And Power and Maldivian, which were also purchased from the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.