Peter Snowden came close to scratching Zarrose from Randwick in favour of an easier assignment, but his decision to run was vindicated when she stormed home to score her second successive win.
Snowden thought Saturday’s Inglis Yearling Entries Close 16 Aug Handicap (1400m) was at the mercy of fancied runners Invader Zim and Getafix, but when that pair was scratched on race morning, he decided to roll the dice with Zarrose.
“I nearly wasn’t going to run her today. When the favourites were in, I thought we couldn’t beat them and I’d go to a midweek meeting,” Snowden said.
“But when they came out it made the decision to come here today easier and she has vindicated that.
“She has always been a filly we’ve had a bit of an opinion of and I think we might have got her worked out now, that she is a fresh filly, and ridden that way (conservatively) is the way to go.”
Zarrose is by Exosphere out of 2006 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Rewaaya, who was Group 1 placed up to a mile.
Snowden believes his four-year-old will run out a similar journey and given her turn of foot in coming from the back of the field to reel in It’s A Knockout, he won’t be surprised to see her progress to better races.
“I reckon she can get to stakes grade,” Snowden said.
“She’s two from two this campaign and there is upside to her for sure.
“It’s a good time to try her at the start of the carnival.”
Ridden by Zac Lloyd, Zarrose ($4.40 equal bookmaker fav) was the only horse to emerge from the pack to challenge It’s A Knockout ($5), overpowering the race leader by a neck with Bella Khadijah ($7.5) another 2-1/4 lengths back in third.
Snowden said a race like the Group 3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at Newcastle on September 20 shaped an ideal target for Zarrose.