Second in the 2020 Group I ATC Australian Derby to Quick Thinker, quality stayer Zebrowski has broken through for his first win in Hong Kong taking out the Class 2 The American Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Previously trained by Team Hawkes, Zebrowski was sold to Hong Kong after finishing second in the Group II MRC Herbert Power and fifth in the Listed Bendigo Cup last year.
The Savabeel gelding was having his fourth run for new trainer Caspar Fownes and got up on the line to win by a head.
“He’s a nice horse and he showed a lot of fighting heart the last 75 (metres), it was getting a bit ugly at the 500 (metre mark), so Vincent (Ho) just decided to come back off him and try to let the horse balance up again coming into the straight before asking for another effort, luckily the horse was in good form and he gave him that – I’m very happy to get the win,” Fownes explained.
“I’m very happy to win on his fourth start in Hong Kong, he keeps progressing each run and I look forward to taking him back to Sha Tin next start and hopefully he will keep improving.”
Looking ahead, Fownes is eyeing an end-of-season target with Zebrowski.
“I’ve said it for a while, I think he’s the type of horse I’d be looking at the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m) at the end of the season, he handles all types of surface and 2400 (metres) shouldn’t be an issue for him,” he said.
“He’s a horse that’s come here and seems to be adapting very nicely so we’re going to have some fun with him.”
Zebrowski is a sibling to Group winners Leebaz, Polish Knight and Euro Angel, dam of this season;s stakes-winner Mr Mozart being from star producer Polish Princess (GB), a stakes-winning daughter of Polish Precedent.
