Zinfandel Pardy Pursuing Murray Bridge Oaks Success
Zinfandel Pardy Pursuing Murray Bridge Oaks Success
A quality night of racing awaits at Murray Bridge on Sunday, with the 2024 running of the Fisher Motors Murray Bridge Derby and Oaks both to be run on the night.
Both races have gotten stronger each year since their inception a few years ago and both races on Sunday are particularly strong.
Past winners on the Derby side have been Know I’m One (2023), Bobby Axelrod (2022) and Rouge Player (2021), whilst on the Oaks side is has been Fantastic Ada (2023), Victa Marli (2022) and She’s A Hotshot (2021).
The Derby on Sunday will be run as a reduced field of five and whilst it is a shortened field, it certainly doesn’t lack any quality. A prelude was run last week and the Tracie Price trained Sudoku Jaxon was dominant when winning that, running a quick 25.51, but it won’t be an easy task to repeat that win in the final, with the amount of early pace engaged in the final.
On the Oaks side, there was a lot more competition throughout the heats and into the final this Sunday. Three heats were run last week and they were taken out by Yumali (25.58), Mallee Beauty (25.67) and Zinfandel Pardy (25.47).
The Stewart Barber trained Zinfandel Pardy will go into the final as the quickest qualifier, after producing a super strong performance in the heat, before running her best of the night 25.47. She was slow early from box three, but used the room given to her and mustered quickly, before proving way too strong late, winning by an impressive three lengths. It was a win that impressed Barber.
“I thought it was a pretty good effort.” Said Barber
“Surprise, well I know all the leaders had quick muster speed. She was probably lucky that she didn’t get touched from either side and she had clear air in running. If she got touched it would have been a different scenario. She was lucky the seven didn’t come down on her so she didn’t get touched and could keep her balance. Once she lobbed where she did I thought well she's got this sorted.”
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing so far for Zinfandel Pardy in her career, with injury problems plaguing the talented bitch early doors, much to the frustration of Barber.
“She’s well in herself. It was a long process to start with, she kept cracking a fibula and then you’d get her going and then have to rest her again. Touch wood she’s just having a bit of a purple patch at the moment.” Said Barber.
The daughter of Barcia Bale x Zinfandel Zara has drawn box two for the final and with her lack of early speed, Barber is fully aware of the luck that she will need if she is to take out the race.
“To be honest, I’d really love box one. We’ve got fast dogs on either side. There's a lot of early pace, box one would have suited better, box two worries me that she’s going to get sandwiched a bit and then stuck behind traffic.”
“I think she’s good enough, with box one I'd be a lot more confident because you have a bit more room on the inside, rather than get away from the dogs on the outside. Because I do know that the five (Yumali) will probably come across and lead. The one (Mallee Beauty) also jumps well when it’s in the one box.”
“I’ll just cross my fingers and hope for the best, there are some good dogs in there, some good, fast dogs. There's a lot of pace and she’s not that quick early.”
“If we can get a bit of luck, then I think she’s good enough that she can win. If everything runs off on the corner and she gets the rail.”
The Derby will run at 6:58pm whilst the Oaks will run at 7:41pm on what promises to be a great afternoon at Murray Bridge.