Tazima and jockey Grima combined for their third successive victory in the Precise Air Handicap (1800m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The promising gelding Tazima has now amassed five wins this season, a commendable achievement. Trainer Chris Waller indicated that this latest win was his horse’s most impressive effort to date.
“I feel that was close to his best win,” Waller said. “He was up in grade but he won quite easily. “We will keep him going through the winter, he’s thriving, he’s well, and he’s winning with plenty in hand. “He could be a Wyong Cup-type of horse. Those type of races will come around pretty soon and there is an 1800m race at Rosehill or Randwick next month which is going to be his next run to keep him ticking along.”
Tazima, who was heavily backed into $3.90 favouritism, completed a winning treble on the Randwick program for Grima. He accelerated clear to win by two lengths from Boniface ($5.50), who chased hard but was safely held. Sly Boots ($5) finished more than three lengths adrift in third.
Grima disclosed that her first-ever ride for the Waller stable was on Tazima, when the gelding won on the Kensington track in August last year.
“Tazima was my first winner from my first ride for Chris and that is my fourth win on the horse now,” Grima enthused.
The race didn’t entirely go to plan for Grima, as Tazima was caught three-wide early on, albeit with cover.
“I honestly don’t mind the three-wide line today if you can get a bit of cover,” said Grima, who also rode winners on Perfect Justice and Beneva. “Tazima travelled beautifully for me, he got a lovely cart into the straight and was just too good.”
Grima’s Randwick treble takes her to 33 city wins for the season, and she now leads Braith Nock by three wins in their battle for the Sydney apprentices premiership.
Although Grima took riding honours at Randwick, Reece Jones celebrated a brace of wins in close finishes.
Jones found the shortest path home on Zouripper to score narrowly in the Kieran Moore Handicap (1000m).
This was the second tight but successful finish for Jones after he won the opener on Proxima Dea.
But just as in Jones’ win on Proxima Dea, the jockey was unsure if Zouripper had won in another finish that left everyone guessing.
“I didn’t know if we got there, I just put my head down and went for it,” Jones said. “To his credit, Zouripper tried very hard. He got through the heavy pretty well and I’m glad we got there right on the line.”
Zouripper settled three pairs back, one off the fence early. As they approached the turns, Jones could have easily moved the sprinter out towards the centre of the home straight to make his finishing run.
Instead, Jones made a tactical decision to switch back to near the inside rail, a move that proved to be a masterstroke, providing the jockey with the second leg of his Randwick double.
Zouripper ($4.40) arrived in time to edge out the brave Petticoat ($3 favourite), with Prima Bella ($3.50) a half-length away third.
Trainer Joe Pride had a rare Saturday off racing, but stable representative Orla Pearl stated that Zouripper is only just getting started this winter.
“This was Zouripper’s third run this time in and he’s going well,” Pearl said. “He ran such a strong race last time we were pretty confident coming here today because he handles these wet tracks.”
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