DAMIEN OLIVER: Zipping Classic top pick Arapaho ‘should be absolutely primed’

A horse who finished just six lengths behind star mare Via Sistina last time out is Damien Oliver’s top pick for Saturday’s Zipping Classic at Caulfield … and he thinks there’s value to be found in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot.

There are winners to be found, but there is also no doubt this Zipping Classic meeting isn’t what it used to be.

I’m still not sure we’ve got this tail-end of Spring right as wedging the recent Thousand Guineas meeting in has really hurt this week’s card.

The Sandown Guineas used to be a good race and it had the potential to be this year with the talent around, but it has turned out a pretty thin race.

Pisces is the obvious and deserves to be a warm favourite. I really liked the last start win.

It’ll take a nice ride from Ben Melham from a bit of a tricky draw, but he’s clearly the one to beat.

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Given the Sydney three-year-old form has really prominent through Spring, you have to factor in French Ruler – who gets Blake Shinn – and the filly Snitzanova. They ran the quinella in the Spring Stakes at Newcastle.

Gee the Zipping Classic is a tough race to sort out.

I just kept coming back to Arapaho. Sure he’s a eight-year-old, but Bjorn Baker’s team is flying.

And Arapaho was only six lengths behind Via Sistina in the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) last time and that mare’s been THE star of Spring. He should be absolutely primed fourth-up and boasts two wins and two seconds from his five runs at 2000m.

Another veteran, Nonconformist, had almost a year out before his three runs this campaign. He’s shown enough to give this a shake and three of his six wins have been at this track.

Star Vega looks the value. That run was quite something in the Queen Elizabeth last time and he’s a horse on the way up.

Over to Perth and the Bjorn Baker-factor looms large again in the Winterbottom.

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It’s easy to look at the barrier draw and be scared by 16 for Overpass, but it doesn’t faze me. I’d love to be riding him.

He’s push-button and has been so good winning all three starts at this track and distance.

There doesn’t look to be a heap of speed, so Josh Parr can hunt forward, get across and control the race.

Importantly, the weather forecast suggests the “Freo Doctor” (wind) won’t have come in by the time the race is run and that’s important because it can make life hard for leaders.

The rejuvenated Western Empire and talented interstaters Maharba and Lady Laguna look the next best.

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OLLIE’S PICKS

SANDOWN GUINEAS
TOP PICK: Pisces
VALUE: French Ruler

ZIPPING CLASSIC
TOP PICK: Arapaho
VALUE: Star Vega

WINTERBOTTOM STAKES
TOP PICK: Overpass
VALUE: Maharba

Originally published as DAMIEN OLIVER: Zipping Classic top pick Arapaho ‘should be absolutely primed’