Dama Zorro records strong win at Hastings

Dama Zorro wins impressively. PIC: Racing Photos.

Promising three-year-old filly Dama Zorro gave a further glimpse of her undoubted potential when she raced home to score a decisive win over 1200m at Hastings on Saturday.

Touted as a horse to watch after a stylish maiden victory at Tauranga in mid-December, the Husson filly franked that opinion when a fast finishing second in a New Year’s Day assignment at Ellerslie. However, a disappointing showing on her home track at Te Rapa earlier this month had punters wary of her chances on Saturday against an even field headed by last start winner Divine Power.

Rider Michael McNab, who had made a special visit to Te Rapa to ride the filly in trackwork on Tuesday morning, produced a gem to have Dama Zorro relaxed throughout the run before saving plenty of ground against the rail approaching the home turn. McNab angled into the clear at the 200m mark and in the twinkling of an eye Dama Zorro lengthened beautifully to dash past Divine Power to score handsomely by two lengths with Caesour’s Dream fighting on well to take third.

“She’s been doing things wrong, but I said to Michael that I hoped there would be some speed on and he should just wait and wait as we didn’t need to be leading with 200m to go,” said trainer David Greene.

“He switched her off nicely and she has a lot of brilliance which she has always shown so if she can continue racing kindly like that she should kick on with it for sure.”

Greene, who purchased the filly from the Phoenix Park draft at the 2016 Karaka Select Yearling Sale for $25,000, noted he had asked McNab to ride the filly at trackwork so he could get a good feel for her behaviour.

“I got Michael to come and ride her in trackwork on Tuesday morning,” he said.

“It gave him a different kind of feel and I think that was a key to understanding the horse and getting her so settled.”

Greene is keen to take things slowly with Dama Zorro as he indicated she may have one more run in this preparation before heading to the spelling paddock for a decent break.

The victory provided McNab with a winning treble within the first four races on the card after he was successful on Perroquet and O’Guy to open the meeting

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