Zafina has mustered a smart turn of foot in the final straight at the Gold Coast to win the Magic Millions Country Cup (1200m) by a half-length this afternoon.
The Canberrra-trained mare drifted slightly in the hours leading up to jump ($11), but did her chances of defying the trend no harm when jumping well and taking an ideal position in transit three back and on the fence.
Jockey Jason Collett elected to pull the Stratum mare off the fence as the field reached the bend and found a gap between runners, towards the outside of the field.
Allowing Zafina plenty of time to balance before he went for the whip, Collett was greeted with a big turn of foot with 300m to travel and was a passenger as the mare savaged the line ahead of Suggan Buggan and He’s A Moral.
Trainer Matt Dale only had the one runner at the Gold Coast this afternoon and was understandably thrilled that Zafina was able to win the Magic Millions Country Cup.
“I gave her a good cheer and I’m a bit croaky, but that’s a good problem to have,” Dale said after the race.
“We’re pretty lucky. After she ran second at Canterbury the other day I had a look and I thought that this would be a really good option for her.
“When she drew soft (barrier 5) and was down in the weights, she looked well placed and travelled up well to Murwillumbah.
“She actually went to stud this year and didn’t go into foal, so she returned back off a bit of a freshen. So she’s run third at Canberra, then second at Canterbury and won here today.”
Dunn said that he is yet to map out a program for the four-year-old beyond this afternoon’s win at the Magic Millions, and will first celebrate the performance.
“We’ll have a beer and dissect it, but we’re rapt with today and it’s great to be involved and have a runner on this day. To win is super.”
Suggan Buggan ($6.50) was backed into outright favouritism prior to jump, but left his run a little too late to make up the required ground on Zafina.
Market mover Yarrapower faded in the final straight to finish well off the pace.