Amberio seals cup run
TRAINER KAREN ZIMMERMAN made another successful northern raid when Amberio provided her with a fourth success in the $50,000 Matamata Cup at Matamata yesterday.
Zimmerman seldom brings horses north from Otaki without enjoying success and expectations were high for Amberio in yesterday’s 1600m event.
‘‘I’ve always brought horses north when I have thought they will be a genuine chance,’’ she said.
‘‘She has been in excellent form and we thought she would run well today,’’ Zimmerman said.
‘‘Her work all week had been nothing short of brilliant and she carried that through to today’s race,’’ Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman had previously won the Matamata Cup three times in the past decade with subsequent Captain Cook Stakes winner Rodin opening her account in 2002. He was also third behind Titian in his title defence.
In 2006 it was the turn of King Of Ashford, rated by Zimmerman as one of the best horses through her stable, and the Matamata run continued the
Her work all week had been nothing short of brilliant.
following year when Bonjour was successful.
King Of Ashford won 10 of his 24 starts for Zimmerman, including the Hawke’s Bay Cup and finished runner-up in the Coongy Handicap and fifth in the Sandown Classic, before his sale to Lee Freedman’s Melbourne stable.
He was part-owned by long-time Zimmerman supporter Gerry Arber, who also has an interest in Amberio. The Captain Rio mare has won five of her 18 starts and has finished in the money in three her open class outings.
Amberio made her open class debut on the opening day of the spring carnival at Hastings for third behind Back In Black and then finished a shorthead second to Dubai Belle in the Merial Ancare Metric Mile. She was ridden yesterday by Michael Coleman.
The Zimmerman stable has been in good form, with Kenneth a winner at Woodville earlier this week, while the promising three-year-old Coastal Express claimed her second race from three starts when successful at Wanganui last week.
“She didn’t go too flash at Hastings, but we threw her in at the deep end and they went a bit quick. She needs more ground so she’ll go to Wellington at the end of the month and she’s also nominated for the Levin Classic.” Amberio won by a head from Atom Cat, with three lengths to Nicole Amy.