John O’Shea isn’t sure if Zou Tiger can turn the tables on last-start conqueror Zougotcha when they clash again at Randwick, but he is confident both are talented two-year-olds going places.
The Chris Waller-trained Zougotcha camped in behind the speed when they met on a heavy 10 track at Canterbury, chasing down Zou Tiger to score by three lengths with that pair gapping third placegetter Sweet Baby Boom by another 5-1/4 lengths.
The latter franked the form by winning her subsequent start in town, while the first two face a rematch in Saturday’s Schweppes Handicap (1100m).
“We’re quite enamoured with him as a horse and we think he’s got a bit to offer,” O’Shea said of Zou Tiger.
“Hopefully he gets the opportunity to show it on a decent track.
“Chris’ filly looked very impressive, she had the drop on us, but the pair of them will be very competitive. They are both very nice horses by a promising young stallion.”
The fillies have had the wood on the colts and geldings based on results in the major two-year-old races this season, winning the Magic Millions (Coolangatta), Golden Slipper (Fireburn), Sires’ Produce Stakes (Fireburn) and Champagne Stakes (She’s Extreme).
Daumier is the only one of the males to have captured a Group 1 with his Blue Diamond Stakes victory.
O’Shea believes that signals that the best colts and geldings among the crop are either just emerging, or yet to emerge.
“The one thing out of the two-year-olds this season is the fillies were significantly better than the colts, so you would think there are a whole new bunch of colts to come through who will be part of the picture for the spring,” he said.
He hopes Zou Tiger can prove to be one of them and plans to give him a shot at stakes grade before putting him in the paddock with a view to his three-year-old season.
“We are mindful to get him away for the spring because he will be a much better three-year-old, but I’d be really happy if we could achieve something this preparation with a view to coming back in the spring,” O’Shea said.
Zou Tiger was a $7.50 chance on Friday with Zougotcha holding market sway as a $3.30 favourite.
