Odeon (NZ) Scores Stakes Win on Cup Day

The A$150,000 Listed James Boag’s Premium Stakes (1800m) on Melbourne Cup day at Flemington was taken out in impressive style by Odeon (NZ) (Zacinto), who was bought for $77,500 at the 2015 Select Sale at Karaka and was passed in at the Ready to Run Sale the same year.

With Chris Symons in the saddle, Odeon was slow out of the gates but moved into striking position turning for home and sprinted clear down the straight to win by two lengths.

“He’s got plenty of ability,” Symons said. “He was a bit slow away and got further back than I would have liked, but I moved him to the outside and let rip.”

Trained by Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra, the four-year-old gelding has now won six of his 16 starts and more than A$380,000 in prize-money.

Previously a placegetter in the Group 1 South Australian Derby, Odeon is owned by Mr H H Wee, Mr M J Bracchi, Mrs E M Bracchi, Mr J Kovacevic, Mrs O Kovacevic, Mr D W Franklin, Mr K W Franklin, Mr S D Kempster, Mrs A Kempster, Mr R Hafner, Mrs D Hafner, Leacra, Mr R M Crook, Mrs T L Crook and Mr T R Pocock.

Odeon was bred by Kevin Hickman and was offered by his stud farm Valachi Downs at the 2015 Select Sale. He returned for the Ready to Run Sale later that year, but didn’t meet his $120,000 reserve.