Written by Paul Vettise
A Cranbourne couple stepped onto the big stage at Caulfield where they executed a sprinting plan to perfection with a rising short course star.
Trainer Sarah Zschoke and jockey Brian Park combined with the lightly-raced Eduardo (Host {CHI} to take top honours in Saturday’s G2 McCafe Caulfield Sprint.
Zschoke operates a small stable while Park has limited opportunities on feature days, but with their talented 5-year-old they showed they belonged.
“It’s so wonderful and we knew the horse was up to it – he’s a super horse.” Sarah Zschoke.
“I can’t believe it, but I can believe it. It’s so wonderful and we knew the horse was up to it – he’s a super horse,” Zschoke said.
“I like the way he switched off and we’ve always thought he was up to it. He just does things so naturally.”
To say Eduardo has come a long way in a short time in an understatement. The chestnut was a debut winner at Moe during the winter and was put aside after he claimed a Benchmark 64 race on the Sandown-Hillside track.
Another level
The gelding finished second in an open dash at Caulfield when he resumed and was again runner-up in the G2 Gilgai S., at Flemington before going to another level on Saturday.
Zschoke currently has a team of half a dozen in work and Eduardo is a perfect advertisement for her conditioning skills.
“It would be really wonderful if we could get a few more in the team,” she said.
Sarah Zschoke and jockey Brian Park celebrating the win of Eduardo
Eduardo jumped well from a wide gate, but was forced to cover extra ground before he strode to the front 200 metres from home and he wasn’t to be denied. She Knows (Denman) was a solid second ahead of Bons Away (Bon Hoffa), who made ground near the fence.
“There was a good pace, but I got stuck three wide and then came around them.” – Brian Park.
“There was a good pace, butI got stuck three wide and then came around them,” Park said. “He put himself there early and when I pressed the button in the straight he went and got the job done.”
The runner-up’s trainer Danny Williams was delighted with his 4-year-old’s performance to get home strongly from the back of the field.
“She’s a very courageous mare who puts in every time,” he said. “She keeps lifting the bar and she’ll be better at Flemington for the set weights and penalties for fillies and mares over 1100 metres.”
