Owner Lloyd Williams has booked Michael Rodd to ride his unlucky Melbourne Cup runner Zipping at Sandown on Saturday after deciding not to wait on the outcome an appeal by Sydney-based rider Danny Nikolic.

Nikolic was adamant Zipping would have finished in the first five in last Tuesday's Melbourne Cup if he had not suffered the backwash of tiring runners on the home turn, particularly the distressed Gallopin and the Irish horses who compounded quickly at the 500m.

Zipping's sectional time for the last 400m was third fastest in the Melbourne Cup and he hit the line full of running in ninth place.

Nikolic's week got worse when he was suspended at Flemington on Thursday for 12 meetings on a careless riding charge but he lodged an appeal that will be heard in Melbourne today.

Zipping is to have his final start for the spring in Saturday's $500,000 Sandown Classic but Williams is not waiting on the outcome of Nikolic's appeal by booking Michael Rodd to ride the stayer.

Rodd will be riding Zipping for the first time but his success rate on horses owned by Williams is excellent and includes last year's Melbourne Cup on Efficient.

Williams said Zipping did not have a hard race in the Melbourne Cup and had done well in subsequent days.

A Sandown Classic win will cap another big spring for Rodd after Group One victories in the Caulfield Guineas and W.S. Cox Plate.]

The Williams-owned NZ Derby winner C'est La Guerre has been spelled following his third in the Melbourne Cup.

Kiwi stayer Capecover is likely to back up against Zipping in the Sandown Classic following his strong win in Saturday's Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington.

Another Kiwi stayer Red Ruler and Saturday's Flemington winner Road To Rock are other entries.

Zipping 的衛冕戰