SAND NOV 13 - VIKING HERO COMES FROM LAST TO WIN THE ECLIPSE STAKES

By Taron Clarke | Monday, November 15, 2010

Sandown Hillside, November 13, 2010.
Track - Heavy 9. Rail - True. Penetrometer: 5.48.
Eclipse Stakes (Group 3) Quality - 1800m.
Time: 1-55.21. 600m Sectional: 37.91. (Carrying 54.5kg).
1 Viking Hero; 2 Davcon; 3 Niblick.
Margins: 1.5L x 0.1L.

Trainer Mike Moroney had huge doubts about his galloper Viking Hero’s ability to handle a heavily rain affected track and so did the owner’s contingent.

The idea to scratch the son of Elvstroem was even bandied around but, in the end, the gelding went out to face the starter before flying home late to grab a well earned success in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.

Ridden by Mark Zahra, the victory gave the hoop a much deserved Group Race double after earlier winning aboard the Jim Conlan trained Larry’s Never Late.

Viking Hero settled at the rear of the field and was last to balance up at the top of the Sandown straight.

Under the strong whip riding of Zahra the gelding motored home late down the outside of the track to grab Davcon and score a length and a half victory with a nose back to favourite Niblick in third.

Zahra later reported to connections that he was confident he was going to finish up closer to last than first at the 400 metres mark as the horse was not confident around other gallopers in the field and had a tendency to shy.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Mike Moroney: “He lost that race last year on Oaks Day and he has had a bit of mixed form.

“He ran third in the Packer Plate and we took him to Queensland and things didn’t go right with him.

“He was gelded after that and he has been really consistent.

"We wondered about him on the wet ground. We tossed round whether we were going to run actually because he has struggled a bit in the wet, but he certainly did it today.

“We will toss around now. I’ll have a meeting with the owners and sort out where we are going to head.

“He has always looked promising.

"He is out of a Zabeel mare and it’s a really good family. He’s just been a bit slow maturing … always had ability all the way through and he is getting to his right age now.”

Jockey Mark Zahra: “He hates when horses come near him. He can be a bit erratic. On the bend I was trying to hold the back of Ben Melham on Davcon and as soon as Niblick come out a touch he put his head on the side.

“I was going to run last at the top of the straight and then he got in his own little zone. I put a couple of hard ones around his bum and he finished all over them.”

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Viking Hero): 7.50 steady.
Favourite (Niblick): 3.00 out to 3.50 into 3.20. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Stewards acceded to a request from trainer Mr P Moody to withdraw Hanks from this event due to the downgrade of the track. Hanks was subsequently withdrawn at 2.17pm.

Work The Room was a late withdrawal at 2.57pm due to the downgrade of the track.

On jumping away Token Of Honour was crowded and had to be checked between The Big Steel which shifted out slightly and Niblick which shifted in.

M Zahra rider or Viking Hero was fined the sum of $1000 under the provisions of AR137A(5)(a)(ii) for using his whip eight times in a forehand manner prior to the 100m.

In assessing penalty Stewards took into account M Zahra’s record in breaching this rule.

D Dunn reported that Tagus may have come to the end of its preparation.

A post race veterinary examination of Our Tigress revealed no abnormalities other than a slower than normal recovery.

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