Damien Oliver and trainer James Cummings combine for another city win with Zapateo

Champion jockey Damien Oliver might have given punters another spring pointer when he piloted Zapateo to a narrow win at The Valley.

Oliver has built a solid relationship with the powerful Godolphin operation in the second half of the season.

The partnership paid off for the second successive Saturday when Zapateo claimed the Plant Powered Cleaning Handicap (1000m).

Oliver has ridden several smart two-year-olds for the James Cummings stable this season, including Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Anamoe and Golden Slipper third placegetter Ingratiating.

He said he was looking forward to being part of Godolphin’s assault on the spring with a promising young team.

“I suppose they have a strong resource there and that seems to be their main goal, their two and three-year-olds and they’ve got good benchmark,” Oliver said.

“It’s nice to measure them up against one another at different stages and get a bit of a feel as to where they fit into the system.

“It’s great to team up with them.

Damien Oliver returns to scale with Zapateo. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Oliver saved ground to win on Plaquette at Caulfield last Saturday but was happy to let Zapateo improve into the race around the outside of the leaders on the home turn of Saturday’s $125,000 contest.

Zapateo ($10) overpowered the leaders in the straight, scoring by a long neck.

Oliver had ridden Zapateo in both her previous starts, a win at Geelong and a second at Caulfield, but said he learned something from the daughter of Brazen Beau’s last-start defeat.

I did think she would just win last start and she didn’t really have an excuse there,” Oliver said.

“Today, if I did learn anything it was to be a little more patient on her and she won well.”

Her Empire ($41) made a good start to her campaign by finishing well for second ahead of the well-backed Sweet Mary ($3.10 fav).

Originally published asOliver eager to team up with Godolphin for spring

Source: Read Full Article