Written by Richard Edmunds
California Zimbol (I Am Invincible) came of age at Caulfield on Saturday, tearing up the script of an expected victory for Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) in the G3 Thoroughbred Club S. providing a quinella for Champion Sire I Am Invincible.
Having previously raced in Sydney and Brisbane, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained filly headed south for the 3-year-old fillies’ feature and immediately made her mark in a sparkling Melbourne debut.
“It didn’t surprise me,” Peter Snowden said. “We’ve always had a big opinion of her. What we’ve seen today is what we’ve been seeing at home for quite a while. It was good to see her bring that to the races and show everyone just how good she is.”
California Zimbol causes an upset
A last-start winner of a BM 78 H. at Canterbury late last month, California Zimbol was a distant second favourite on Saturday behind the $1.85 hotpot Loving Gaby. But those roles were emphatically reversed on the track.
California Zimbol’s rider Kerrin McEvoy initially tried to stalk the early front-runner Backpedal (Toronado {Ire}), but then decided to slide forward and set the pace.
Loving Gaby had trailed that pair through the first 600 metres, then moved up alongside California Zimbol rounding the home turn and looked like she was poised to pounce.
But California Zimbol changed gears after straightening and sped clear, powering away from Loving Gaby down the straight to win by 2.25l.
“She won nicely, she’s a good filly in her own right,” McEvoy said.
“She was a little aggressive in the early part of the race. I wanted to settle second, but the leader at the time wasn’t going quick enough. I had to meet the filly halfway, and then once I got to the front she switched off nicely and relaxed much better.
“The stable has always had a high opinion of this filly, and well done to them for bringing her down here and having a crack at a nice race.”
“The stable has always had a high opinion of this filly, and well done to them for bringing her down here and having a crack at a nice race.” - Kerrin McEvoy
Bought for $450,000 at the Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling Sale and raced by Howard Liang, California Zimbol is now the winner of three of her five starts and more than $215,000 in stakes.
This was her first black-type win, having previously run second in the Listed Oxlade S. at Doomben during the Queensland winter carnival.
California Zimbol as a yearling
“Going to Brisbane for a couple of runs during the carnival was probably the making of her,” Snowden said. “Since she’s come back, she’s been a much more mature horse. She’s really furnished that big frame and filled out all over.
“She’s beaten a good filly today who may have been ridden a little upside down for her, but in saying that, she was very dominant. She pulled right away late, so that’s a good sign.
“We think a lot of this horse, and hopefully we’ll have some nice fish to fry down here in the next few weeks.”
“We think a lot of this horse, and hopefully we’ll have some nice fish to fry down here in the next few weeks.” - Peter Snowden
Last year’s Thoroughbred Club S. winner Sunlight (Zoustar) used it as a stepping stone to the G1 Coolmore Stud S. at Flemington, but Snowden has not yet confirmed what lies ahead for California Zimbol.
“I’ll have a look at the calendar tomorrow,” he said. “She’ll be down here for the next three weeks. She’s very talented, and this won’t be the last time you see her in the winners’ circle, that’s for sure.”
