Zanbagh still a threat at seven

Zanbagh comes to the Epsom Handicap off a Group Three win in the Tibbie Stakes at Newcastle.

While most seven-year-old mares are on their way to the breeding sheds this spring, Zanbagh is racing with the same zest she showed as a three-year-old.

After winning the Group Three Tibbie Stakes at Newcastle last Friday week, Zanbagh is primed for the Epsom Handicap at Randwick on Saturday.

Her owner Sandy Tait only needs to point to his great sprinting mare, Spinning Hill, to argue the case to keep her going.

“Spinning Hill won the Manikato (2003) as a seven-year-old,” Tait said.

“Zanbagh is a wonderful mare and John Thompson has done a wonderful job training her.

“He says she’s happy and healthy and that’s all that matters.

“Although a bit of cut of the ground at Randwick would be nice.”

A daughter of 2004 AJC Oaks winner Wild Iris who also sported the Tait family’s famous red and white colours, Zanbagh was a Group Three winner and dual Oaks placegetter at three.

She was trained then by the late Guy Walter who also prepared Wild Iris, Spinning Hill and 13-time Group One winner Tie The Knot for the Taits.

After Walter’s death in 2014, Zanbagh was sent to Patrick Payne in Victoria but failed to live up to her early form.

Tait tossed up whether to retire her but decided to give her another chance on the track and she made her way to Thompson’s Randwick stable in late 2015.

Thompson has trained her to four wins including the past two runnings of the Group Two Emancipation Stakes.

After this year’s Emancipation, she ran a fast-closing secon to Epsom rival Foxplay in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

The only thing missing is a Group One win and Zanbagh is a $16 chance to turn that around in the Epsom.

“It might not be the strongest Epsom we’ve seen,” Tait said.

“She has met Happy Clapper twice and had no luck last time in the Tramway Stakes. She gets a three-and-a-half kilo weight pull off him in the Epsom and that might help.

“But he is a really good horse and deserves to be favourite.”

Hugh Bowman rode Zanbagh at Newcastle but with the mare to carry 52.5kg in the Epsom, Damian Lane takes the ride.

Zanbagh finished midfield in the 2015 Villiers Stakes won by Happy Clapper who is at $2.90 to win the Epsom.

The Pat Webster-trained gelding comes to the Epsom at his third start this spring.

He won the Group Two Tramway Stakes before briefly looking as if he might upset Winx in the Group One George Main Stakes.

Epsom second favourite Egg Tart will have to pass a final veterinary examination on Friday afternoon to take her place.

The Chris Waller-trained mare has been battling an eye irritation and has failed other inspections this week.