Zanteco jumps to another feature win
Zanteco has taken his jumps career to a new height with a stylish victory at Ballarat.
The Darren Weir-trained eight-year-old claimed a third straight feature jumps victory when he took out Sunday’s J J Houlahan Hurdle (3200m).
A debut winner over hurdles in May, Zanteco fell at his next start before running second at Hamilton in June.
He followed up with a fifth placing at Warrnambool before starting his string of victories in feature races.
Zanteco went to Bendigo to claim the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle on June 24 before taking out the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown on August 7.
Dropping back 700 metres and rising 6.5kg in weight, Zanteco ($4.60) ploughed through the heavy conditions to score by six lengths from the $2.50 favourite Tremec with Gold Medals ($7) 3-1/2 lengths away third.
“He’s become a good money earner this horse,” Weir said.
“He’s put together three feature races in a row now so we’ll probably give him a break and look to next year.”
Weir said Zanteco would be given a shot early in the jumps season at the Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool’s May carnival, a race the trainer won this year with Gingerboy who finished at the tail of the field on Sunday.
Brad McLean has been aboard Zanteco for his past two victories and said the key to Zanteco was getting him to switch off and jumping well.
Zanteco did his part by relaxing at the tail of the field and then moving forward before the turn.
McLean was a little worried Zanteco may have got to the front too soon but he said he just helped the eight-year-old through the ground with his big weight.
“He was brilliant today,” McLean said.
“He galloped through that ground like it was good ground.”