Eight year old ZABENE defied the age barrier yeaterday with a scintilating galloping display when taking out the time honoured Metropolitan Gold Trophy (Listed) at Riccarton. Contesting what is a traditional lead up race for the Group Three New Zealand Cup (3200 metres) to be run at Riccarton Saturday 12th, ZABENE had drawn wide from the tricky 2500 metre barrier, but Premiership leading jockey, Matthew Cameron hunted him out of the gates and as they turned out of the straight, he had his mount three horse lengths back and two wide without cover. ZABENE settled well and traveled nicely throughout the race. As they turned for home, he moved up to the leaders to make his challenge. Cameron asked him for additional effort at about the 300 metre mark and he surged to the lead. The racemare, Mystique, made a strong challenge over the last 100 metres, but ZABENE held her off nicely with a length to spare on the line with a further one and a half lengths back to the 3rd horse.
Fortuna Director, John Galvin, could not be happier about his charge, "We only acquired this horse for the Syndicate members last April and he has not put a foot wrong. His primary target has always been the New Zealand Cup and he is right on track for that event."
ZABENE is raced by the Fortuna (No 24) Syndicate, an ownership group comprising 27 people, many of whom were on course yesterday to welcome their hero back to scale.