Six-figure prize in the offing for Zoulander
Joshua Smith • July 9th, 2025 4:23 PM • 3 min read
Local gelding Zoulander belied his odds once more when scoring his second consecutive victory on Riccarton’s synthetic track on Wednesday.
Despite winning over 1400m on the surface last month, he was unwanted by punters in the Join TAB Racing Club Rating 75 (1400m), jumping a $26.40 outsider.
The seven-year-old gelding was slow out of the gates, but he quickly regained the deficit and apprentice jockey Floor Moerman elected to push forward on the fence to sit in the trail.
Pacemaker Doubtful Sound kicked clear at the turn and Moerman was seeking to find clear running room for her charge, which she found with 250m to go and Zoulander was able to reel in the leaders to win by a head over Sorcha, with a further neck back to Doubtful Sound in third.
“He missed the kick, or maybe I missed the kick on him, but he got back to them pretty quickly and then he travelled really well all the way,” Moerman said. “As soon as I got clean air, he was really wonderful. He is lovely to ride.”
While his victory may have surprised punters it didn’t surprise his handlers, who have now set their sights on the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m) at Riccarton on August 6.
“On his day he tries hard, and his work has been just as good, if not better, since that last start,” Matthew Pitman said. “We said to Floor before the race to ride him for a bit of luck and put him in a dogfight, and you know once he gets into that dogfight he usually comes out on top. She rode him well.
“He will be eligible for the $100,000 race on the poly in the middle of the National Week. That will be a great race for him to target, and in the form he is currently in he wouldn’t be without a chance.”
A race later, the Pitmans were back in the winner’s circle welcoming back Ocean Light following his long head victory in the Cup Week Hospitality On Sale Now Rating 75 (2200m).
The four-year-old son of Ocean Park is also set to return to the track during the Grand National Festival of Racing next month, with the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) being his ultimate aim in November.
“He is a very good horse and I was very pleased with how he was ridden today. He is a better horse when he is left behind the speed,” Michael Pitman said.
“There is a nice race for him on the middle day (of the Grand National carnival) on the poly. The poly has got its place, it suits certain horses, and he is one of the ones it does suit. He will then be probably set for the New Zealand Cup.”
Earlier on the card, Cape Horn broke through for his maiden victory in the Herman’s Hermits 2 August Christchurch Maiden (1200m) at his third career start, and kicked off what would become a winning treble for his trainers, who now sit on 36 wins for the season. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
