 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2013
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
2013 AVON CITY FORD WELCOME STAKES
Mark Purdon was expected to win the Avon City Ford Welcome Stakes with Isaiah, but he won it instead with his unfancied stablemate, Zacharia.
Blair Orange brought the son of Courage Under Fire home with a devastating burst from midfield to swamp a tiring bunch up front that included Isaiah and Regulus who was below his best. Isaiah wasn't, but he had a tough run, wide early, always moving forward without favours, parked, leading in and fading with a punctured tyre. On the other hand, Zacharia was handy but lost his position, which eventually was instrumental in his opportunity to finish with the speed he did.
Zacharia was bought by Neil Pilcher and Trevor Casey for $30,000. Pilcher didn't mind the price, nor the fact others had passed him over because he was so small. "I've had a great run with them - Smolda, Almost A Christian, and we lost him before we saw how good he was, Glengowan and Equaliser. I actually picked him out on the video, and then I was a little disappointed when I saw him, but everything was in proportion, and he's a lovely wee horse."
Driver Blair Orange said he didn't expect to beat the good ones. "What made it for us is that we got one cold shot at them. He's got a great will to win. And he's got high gate speed, and that's something we haven't used as yet." Orange has previously won the race in successive years with Kotare Mach, Highview Tommy and Ohoka Arizona.
Credit: Mikw Grainger writing in HRWeekly 10Apr2013