Just six days after finishing runner-up against the best stayers in the country at Group 1 level, ZIPPING Niseko showed her class and penchant for the South Coast circuit, with an impressive victory in the heats of the Sportsbet Dapto Middle Distance Championship.
Last Saturday night the Jason Magri-trained stayer was mixing it with the best when she finished second to Gypsy WYONG in the Group 1 Topgun Stayers at The Meadows.
On Thursday night she was back at her favourite track - albeit a rain-sodden favourite track - and maintained her unblemished record at Dapto with a tenacious victory to advance to next week’s $25,000 final.
The win - in 34.43s - was ZIPPING Niseko’s seventh win from seven starts at Dapto, and her fourth win over the Dapto 600m.
She had some work to do early but was able to reel in the leader, David Smith’s Ice Cream Story to score by ¾ length, with Smart Fernando a further 2¾ lengths away in third, and I’m Explosive in fourth also qualifying for the final.
“She’s a race dog now. She doesn’t need to lead, she can come from behind, she’s a perfect dog now. Boxes don’t matter to her now. I can’t fault her,” Magri said
“She did it hard early and Ice Cream Story is a pretty handy dog herself but she did well to run her down and I was really pleased with her run.”
It looked like it would be de ja vu in heat two of the Championship, when Smith’s Prim And Proper led before being challenged up the back by Magri’s Where’s Rocky.
Where’s Rocky had walked out of the boxes, but managed to work his way into second spot heading out the straight, and when he loomed alongside Prim And Proper on the top turn, it looked like Magri would take out both heats.
But to her credit Prim And Proper refused to be collared and staved off the challenge to win by ¾ length in 34.69s, with Stay Strong a further six lengths back in third, and Mr Dusty Sir grabbing fourth and a final berth.
“She’s just a beauty. She just tries so hard and is so hard to overtake when she gets to the front,” Smith said of Prim And Proper. “She wobbles around a bit, she still runs good time, but she’s very hard to get past.
“She loves it here. She has the early box speed and then has that ability to hang on.”
Smith was also delighted with the performance of Ice Cream Story.
“When you get run down by a dog who runs second in the Topgun, there’s no shame in that,” he said.
Magri was very happy with the run of Where’s Rocky who was having his first attempt over the 600m in the heats. He was also pleased that the dog has drawn box 1 in the final.
“His run was good. He missed the kick, it’s his first 600m, and he got a bit lost on the first turn – he should have went to the fence but went out wide - but he hit the line good,” Magri said.
Asked what he is capable of on a fast, dry track, Magri said: “I’ve got no doubt he would run 34.2s maybe even into the teens with a clear run. He’s got a lot of ability the dog.”
