3 minute read

Smart southern filly Zigwig is closing in on a return to racing and a crack at the best of her age group.

The Inglewood Stud-bred and raced three-year-old is moving smoothly through her paces with trainer Nick Wigley after a break following a rewarding first preparation.

“She’s been back in work for six weeks and she’s coming along well,” he said.

“She didn’t spell that well, but she’s one of those fillies that’s better in work than being turned out and she’s really thriving now.

“She’ll go to the trials and then run in the three-year-old race at Riccarton on September 3.

“That will get her ready for the Canterbury Belle Stakes and, all going well, on to the 1000 Guineas.”

Zigwig proved to be a grand advertisement for her Inglewood-based sire Zacinto last season when she placed at her first two appearances before winning the Listed Champagne Stakes.

Meanwhile, Wigley has had good reason to subscribe to the ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ theory after the outstanding debut success at Ashburton of Oh Romeo.

“We bought him in Melbourne as a weanling to re-sell as a yearling, but unfortunately he didn’t x-ray well and we didn’t get a bid on him,” he said.

“Then we had him sold to Singapore, but the money never came through.”

Oh Romeo won two trials before his first race day appearance and created quite an impression on rider Terry Moseley with an eight and a half-length victory.

“Terry said he’s the best horse he’s ridden since Courier Bay,” Wigley said.

Moseley won two races on the multiple Group One-winning sprinter-miler of the late 1980s.