The Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison training partnership might have a reputation of success with cast-offs and crocks, but this season its juveniles have been to the fore. At Flemington on Saturday, the stable brought up two-year-old winner No. 4 from as many runners.
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To date the best of the quartet has been Eloping, which has won about $750,000 and been placed in the Golden Slipper, but Morgan has high hopes for Zebulon, a most impressive winner of the Murray Cox Handicap (1410 metres).
"We've always thought that he might be a [Caulfield] Guineas horse so we'll probably head that way," Morgan said before adding that Zebulon may return to Flemington in two weeks after a brief freshen.
There were certainly no excuses for the beaten brigade with Zebulon ($12), which had been an unlucky second on debut at Werribee, being trapped wide all the way.
Despite the tough run, Zebulon took over out wide at the 250-metre mark and drew away to win comfortably from Profit Share ($3.30 favourite) with Allergic ($11) making late ground to be a further half neck away in third placing.
"We did it the hard way; when I wasn't five wide I was six wide and then probably 10 wide on he turn," said Linda Meech who picked up the ride on Zebulon when Glen Boss was unable to ride at Flemington after being injured in a jumpout on Friday.
The victory brought up win No. 100 for the season for Meech and ensured she would be heading home to New Zealand for her mother’s 60th birthday in July.
"I promised mum that if I got to 100 [wins] I'd go back home for her birthday so it looks like I'm going home," Meech said.
The picket fence Akavoroun was building came to an end at Moonee Valley last Saturday but the promising gelding showed he was on track for the Winter Championship Final in two weeks when a great Michelle Payne ride saw him return to his best form with a smart win in the Championship Heat (1410 metres) at Flemington on Saturday.
"There could be any number of things [excuses] last start, but he's bounced back today," trainer Ciaron Maher said.
"His work was good during the week and he's a very exciting horse."
Payne settled Akavaroun on the fence beyond midfield and she stayed there as the field cornered, before being presented with a clear run through the field as it fanned at the top of the straight.
Akavaroun ($6.50) and New Zealander Ringo ($8 to $5.50) had a good tussle over the final 300 metres but Akavaroun got the upper hand over the final stages to win by three-quarters of a length.
The John Sadler-trained Vain Queen ($3.20 favourite) brought up win No. 6 from eight starts in the heat of the Sprint Series (1100 metres) and will now aim to gain some black type in the listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final at Flemington on Saturday week.
The victory saw Vain Queen's rider Katelyn Mallyon draw level on 25 wins with Harry Coffey in the metropolitan apprentice's title, with Jye McNeil one behind the pair after guiding Crafty Cruiser to victory in the heat of the Banjo Paterson series (2520 metres).
It might be a rarity to strike a track rated good (three) in June, but the firm conditions helped Aeratus ($8.50) to an easy win in the David Bourke Provincial Plate (1610 metres).
"He's better on this sort of going and not a genuine winter horse," said trainer Mick Price, who quinellaed the race with Harvey's True Heart.
