POLLARD STRIKES WITH ANOTHER LISTED RACE WINNER

By Graham Potter | Saturday, June 27, 2026

Todd Pollard is a young trainer quickly making a name for himself after taking out a trainer’s licence in his own right in February.

At Eagle Farm on Saturday, for the second Saturday meeting at that venue in a row (separated by the Ipswich Cup meeting), Pollard saddled a Listed race winner when Zuleika, who was having her first run for the stable, landed an end-to-end win in the Listed Tattersall’s Gold Crown under a finely judged ride by Ashley Morgan over the 2100m trip.

Two weeks earlier Pollard sent Midnight In Tokyo out to win the Listed Steven Hinkler Handicap over 1200m.

Zuleika last three runs, when under the care of trainer Henry Dwyer, were all during the Queensland Winter Carnival where she went from Listed company in the Bracelet at the Gold Coast … to a Group 2 run in The Roses … to a shot at the elite level in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks. She failed to find a place in any of those outings.

In the Tattersall’s Gold Crown, Pollard brought Zuleika back from Group 1 to Listed level and shaved 100m off the distance test from 2200m to 2100m … one a big change and one only a subtle difference, but changes nevertheless which arguably meant she was worth a second glance.

The daughter of North Pacific jumped at the generous odds of $21 and for those who kept the faith and took those odds … Zuleika gave them a relatively easy watch as she went about claiming the fourth win of her career in her tenth start.

Morgan had Zuleika racing out wide on the track first time past the grandstands, being patient before crossing to the rail and into the lead as Zuleika took the field out towards the back straight … where Morgan urged Zukeila to quickly extend her lead, which she did going out to enjoy a four to five length advantage at that stage of the running.

Morgan then gave Zuleika a breather on the sweep to the home turn allowing the field to bunch up behind his mount, but he then asked Zuleika to extend again in the home straight … and she again responded well … so that it became a game of catch-me-if-you-can, with that challenge being issued to the chasing pack.

They were seemingly lining up to tackle Zuleika halfway up the straight, but the Pollard runner was still full of running and she shrugged off all of those threats … bar one, as the Matt Kropp trained Sun Worshipper ($10) came out if the pack as the only serious challenger to Zuleika over the final 200m.

But, with Zuleika staying strong to the line, Sun Worshipper was unable to breach the gap, and Zuleika ultimately came home by a comfortable 1,47 length margin.

The $3.60 joint favourite Hyperbolic finished best of the rest without ever looking likely to have a major say in the result, while the co-favourite Pinito was never close enough at any stage of the running to be a threat.

There was a change of tactics in play here with Pinito as recorded in the official Steward’s Report which states … ‘Connections advised a change of tactics – attempt to settle further forward. Ridden accordingly. Leaving the 600m, became awkwardly placed on heels and had to be steadied. When asked to comment on the performance, Jockey N. Rawiller reported that Pinito raced flat and failed to respond when placed under pressure. He further added that in his opinion, the mare may have come to the end of its preparation.

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