Seeing double!

Ballymore enjoyed a very successful day at Caulfield on Saturday - cheering home both legs of the daily double, Zabisco and Bonnie Mac (photo courtesy of Darryl Sherer) both impressive.

Promising lightly raced gallopers who both kicked off their careers in New Zealand, they made their way to Australia with their form suggesting they would measure up.

And indeed they have, each horse looking to have a bright future.

Improving with each run - at his first couple of local runs over-racing, Zabisco was back to his best with a barnstorming victory in the Ranvet Handicap.

Settling nicely back in the field for Nick Hall (who also rode Bonnie Mac), Zabisco finished on strongly over the final stages - wearning down the leaders and putting his nose out on the line to salute by a game long neck.

"That's the way to ride him," said assistant trainer Matt Hoysted who added that the son of Zabeel like most of the breed, will be better over longer trips.

"He is looking for further but we just kept him to the 1400m whilst he learns some racing manners - it looks like he is right now."

Raced by A Mcgrath, John Voitin, Troy Mobbs, Kevin Mackenzie, Ronald Vela, Larry Greene, Ian Frykberg, Ian Wales, Andrew Dale and the Purvis Loughnan Syndicate (manager Daryl Purvis), Zabisco has won four of his 13 starts with a further eight placings to his credit.

Gr.2 placed in New Zealand, he is out of the two times winning Desert Sun mare Arthena, a half sister to five winners including the stakes placed five times winner Anden.

Also well bred and also smart is Bonnie Mac who was always travelling well in the final event at Caulfield, the Louise Cooper Mares Plate.

Taking a gap when it was presented to her in the straight, the in-form four-year-old burst through before racing away to win by a length with plenty in hand.

The winner of her last four from a total of five starts, Bonnie Mac had a bit of a look around over the final stages - suggesting she still has a bit to learn.

"She has got a lot of upside," Hoysted said whilst Nick Hall was impressed - "everything worked out perfectly," he said - "she has got a great turn of foot."

A NZ$90,000 Karaka purchase for Paul Moroney, Bonnie Mac is raced by Christine and Ian McCarrison. She is by the Stradbroke Handicap winner Thorn Park out of the stakes placed two times winner Gold Class.

Hopefully the stable's good form can continue on Sunday with runners at Sale and Ararat.

First up at Sale is Liberated Rose, a daughter of Red Ransom making her debut in the second event - a 1200m maiden.

"She is a really nice filly," Michael Moroney enthused, "a quality type."

Also debuting is Chilean Plume in the third event and he too has shown ability - "we think he is pretty smart," Moroney said.

"He is bred for a bit of ground but it would not surprise me to see him prove competitive over the 1200m."

We have to wait till the end of the day for our third Sale runner, Balmoral stepping up to 1700m second up.

"The slow track will help him," Moroney said, "and he is going well well. He has furnished into a strong horse this time in and this will be his preparatoin - he has come of age."

We have also sent a first starter to Ararat, Shublik by Barely A Moment lining up in the second race, a 1300m maiden.

"He is a nice type of horse although he hasn't trialled as well as he has worked. It will be interesting to see how he goes."

Dragon Head is the last of our weekend runners, contesting the final event at Ararat - a 1600m ratings handicap.

"He has always been very new and green," said Moroney, "but we have added blinkers to his gear and he has become very relaxed, he can really improve."