OLD BOY STILL HAS PLENTY OF ZIP

The young bucks will have a fight on their hands to usurp Vow And Declare’s Zipping Classic crown at Caulfield.

Vow And Declare comfortably won last year’s Zipping Classic, which was his first win since his 2019 Melbourne Cup triumph for trainer Danny O’Brien.

John Allen steered Vow And Declare to his Zipping Classic success but Billy Egan will be aboard the now eight-year-old in Saturday’s $750,000 contest.

Vow And Declare will head into Saturday’s race with better lead-up form.

The gelding finished 10th in last year’s Melbourne Cup before dropping back in class to win the Zipping Classic but Vow And Declare finished a place better in this year’s Cup.

Vow And Declare also ran second to Alligator Blood in the Might And Power Stakes before an unlucky second when caught wide throughout in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup.

“He’s doing everything right,” Egan said.

“He was very close in the Moonee Valley Cup and in the Caulfield Stakes, he was beaten two lengths by Alligator Blood over 2000m.”

Egan said shifting to weight-for-age conditions would help the 39-start veteran overcome the challenge of his younger rivals.

“He can definitely win. I don’t see why not,” Egan said.

“His form was really going into the Cup in good races.

“This is a good race with a few horses like Shock ‘Em Ova and the horse of Busuttin’s (Muramasa) that are on the way up.

“He’s the proven one at weight-for-age and his form throughout the spring has been really good.”

Egan has ridden Vow And Declare at his last four starts, instantly building a strong rapport with the son of Declaration Of War.

The jockey has also been aboard for track gallops leading into Vow And Declare’s spring assignments, noting the chestnut has continued to thrive during his spring campaign.

“I do one gallop in between runs since I started riding him at Caulfield and every time I’ve ridden him, he’s just got better and better and his coat is outstanding,” Egan said.

Story by Brad Waters for Herald Sun

Pic by Racing Photos