‘X-Factor': Lanfranco To Light Up Zoom Top

TRAINER Jamie Ennis is confident Lanfranco can continue to realise his potential in Saturday night’s Zoom Top at The Meadows.

TRAINER Jamie Ennis is confident Lanfranco can continue to realise his true potential when he steps out with some serious x-factor behind him in Saturday night's Group 1 Zoom Top (730m) at The Meadows.

Lanfranco, a son of Feral Franky and Miami Fernando, making him a half-brother to Ennis' former group 1 superstar Amron Boy, launched his career in rather unspectacular fashion this time last year in the Group 3 VicBred Maiden Series.

In fact it took the regally bred chaser seven starts to get off the mark and shed his maiden status as Ennis patiently worked towards furnishing the gifted chaser into the stayer he is today.

"He's always been fast – very fast," Ennis, who won the Zoom Top in 2006 with Slick Galore, said.

"With him it has always been about confidence. Early on when he started off he just had no confidence in a field and he's never had a first section either.

"His best part was always his last section which is why he was always pegged as a stayer. It's just taken some time to get him here with racing to build that confidence.

"He's had a few niggling injuries along the way we've had to manage as well."

Now a winner at 10 of his 32 starts, Lanfranco's debut performance, beaten by now dual group 1 winner Excavation this time last year, is all but a distant memory.

His five most recent five appearances has netted three wins and two seconds, the latest a 13 ¼ length demolition at The Meadows over the 730m journey in 42.09s.

Brooke Ennis with Zoom Top hopeful Lanfranco

"The box two draw for him on Saturday night really brings him into the race – he's desperate to find the rail," Ennis added.

"There's no doubt as well with his racing pattern that he's better off racing against the better quality dogs where they are going to stretch out.

"In a lot of his runs there for a while he was running up the back of them while he was learning to race.

"I really do expect him to run a big race on Saturday. You'd have to say Ethanol Water and Black Silencer are the ones to beat on form.

"It is a group 1 but it's probably a soft group 1 being honest."

While eager to now have Lanfranco on the group race stage, Ennis is looking forward to the return to the track of his other staying star, Ella's Babe.

"She's come through her season now and I'm really looking forward to her getting back to the races," Ennis said.

"The season will do her the world of good. I expect her to come back better than what she already was." 

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